Sun on Sunday
by MsAlexisCriss
Summary: CrissColfer Story. Chris and Darren become friends again and the feelings they had for each other reborn.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone! This is my first CrissColfer fanfic, I wrote this story as a gift for a friend so I hope you all like it! I'm not a hardcore CC shipper, but I have to admit I really enjoyed writing this story. If you are not a CC shipper please don't bother to read this!**

**The story contains some 'real' elements but it is pure fiction, nothing that is written here is true, it's just a figment of my imagination! I have 2 more complete chapters and I'm currently writing the fourth one. Let me know if you like the story so I can upload more chapters! Thanks for reading and don't forget to review.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Darren, Chris or any of the persons mentioned in this story.**

* * *

**CHAPTER 1**

'You know what? That's it! I'm sick of all this crap! I've been very patient and respectful with you, but I'm sick of this…you need to tell me what's going on. What's wrong?' Will yelled Chris

'Really? Are you sick? I AM SICK! We fight all the time! We're living a hell! Don't you see?'

Chris didn't mean to say those words out loud but he could not help it, he was sick of everything and Will wasn't helping. Will on the other hand was petrified. He was losing Chris, he was sure about it. They both stayed silent for a couple of minutes. Finally, Will spoke again.

'It can't be a hell; we're in love right? We're meant to be together…isn't it? I love you, I will always love you…you love me too right?' Will said trying to win back Chris.

'That's the problem…' Chris replied in a whisper

And precisely the "love-thing" was the problem. Chris was having a moment. He was not sure about anything, the only certain thing he had on his mind was that he really needed a break. His mind and heart were playing with him. _You don't love him. You must let him go!_

'I…I…I'm not sure about anything right now'

'You're not sure if you love me or not?' Will asked in disbelief

Chris did love him in a way, but he wasn't sure about how much, or if it was or not the "in-love" kind of love.

'Please! Answer me…are you in love with me or not?'

'It's complicated' Chris mumbled the answer

'No it's not! It's pretty simple indeed… a simple yes or no' Will said, Chris remained silent.

What's wrong with him? At what point his life had become so complicated? Everything was fine, more than fine a few months ago…but then that freaking stay-over-dinner had ruined everything.

'You know what? I'm tired of this shit. You've been acting weird since Thanksgiving…and it's pretty clear that you don't love me as much as I do. You don't need to say anything, I can see everything in your eyes. Don't worry about me, I'm leaving…'

'Will…'

'It's fine Chris…I can't stay when you think this is a living hell. I love you and if you're not sure about us…well…there's nothing I can do… I already gave you everything. I don't know what else to do… or say I just want you to be happy…'

Chris looked down, he was ashamed and distressed, Will was a great guy but something was not like before, he was confused and…

'I'll send someone to pick up my stuff…if you want to talk just call me. I really hope you find what you're looking for, just remember I love you, okay?'

Chris watched as Will walked to the door, studying the possibility to stop him, to tell him that everything was fine, that nothing had happened. But that was a lie. He was not the same, he was confused and needed time, time to understand his own feelings. _Really Chris? You don't know how you feel? You don't know who you're in love with? _

'Goodbye Chris' Will said stopping at the door

Chris hesitated, a goodbye speech was taking shape on his mind. He breathed and closed his eyes for a moment before speaking, as soon as his eyes were closed a memory burst into his head: the stupid and goofy smile. He forgot how to talk.

'Bye' Will said again hoping for Chris to say something. Sadly for him, Chris remained silent.

Suddenly the door closed and Chris was alone.

o-o-o-o-o

Chris stayed looking out the window for hours, trying to balance his mind, trying to avoid those stupid memories, trying to feel less guilty; obviously he was not succeeding. Everything was in complete silence. Not even Brian was close to make some noise; he was alone.

_Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock!_ Someone was knocking. Chris glanced at the door and shrugged. He was not interested in who might it be.

'You better open the damn door Chris…so help me! I'm going to knock it down!' _Ashley? What is she doing here? Of course! Will must have called her_.

'Open the damn door Colfer! I hate not having the key! I need to see you! Open the door!'

'Not now…leave me alone!' Chris yelled

'Open the door!'

'Go away!'

'Open the damn door! I'm not going anywhere!' She insisted

_Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock!_ She was practically throwing herself to the door. Chris rolled his eyes. Sometimes she was impossible. He stood up reluctantly and opened the door. As soon as the door opened, she lunged at him and hugged him tightly.

'Are you okay baby?' she asked as soon as they both were in the living room

'I need to be alone'

'No! You don't!'

'Yes I do'

'No you don't! I know you better than you think and I'm 100% sure you need someone to talk to'

Chris rolled his eyes and asked 'Why are you here?'

'Will called me and told me he was leaving and that you'd probably need a friend'

'But you're his friend too' Chris replied reluctantly

'Yeah, HE is my friend but YOU are my best friend…there's a difference'

Chris remained silent. How on earth was he going to talk with her about HIM? He wasn't prepared. Not yet.

'You know me Colfer, we can be here sitting on your couch as many hours as you want, but I'm not going anywhere, at least not without an explanation'

Chris looked at her. She certainly knew him well. He had to speak. _She would understand, right? It's going to be a shock but she'll understand. Of course you idiot! She's your best friend!_

'He left'

'Yeah I'm aware of that part of the story…but why? He didn't tell me anything'

'Well...we had sort of a fight'

'About?' she asked

'Our relationship…he thinks I don't love him'

'But you do love him right? This is all a big misunderstanding'

Chris was silent again, memories flashing on his mind. _Stupid dinners! Stupid talks! Stupid moments! Damn you and your stupid and gorgeous smile!_

'I don't know'

'You don't know? Really? I don't understand, you two were happy and fine and…in love. You even told me he was your everything…what the heck happened?'

Chris was exhausted. Tired of thinking and feeling. It had been awful weeks since that stupid night. He needed to speak. He had to tell the truth, he had to say it out loud. Maybe then he could realize that this whole thing was, after all, a mistake, a stupid mistake.

'What happened Chris?' Ashley asked again

Chris breathed deeply and without thinking it too much opened his mouth.

'Darren! Darren happened!' he answered almost yelling.

'Wait, wait, wait…Darren as Darren Criss? Your co-worker?'

'Yes' he answered in a whisper

'How? When? Why? You two were no longer friends. I'm sorry Chris but I'm not following you'

'I know we're not the friends we used to be but…'

'But…what?'

'It's complicated'

'Certainly…but you have to spill the beans lady or you're going to explode'

_This is it! I cannot take it anymore!_ 'Oh Ash! I'm so confused….' Chris gave up and started to cry.

o-o-o-o-o

Chris cried for almost an hour without stopping, he was sobbing like a little baby while Ashley was rocking him in her arms, not sure of what to do or said to help her friend.

'It's all right…it's all right…everything is going to be fine. But you need to tell me what's going on so I can help you…'

'Oh! Ash I feel so bad! I'm a horrible person!'

'What's wrong? Why are you crying like this? I had never seen you like this! I'm worried'

'I feel so bad…I'm confused and ashamed…I swear I did not plan any of this to happen ...I have tons of things in my heart and I don't know what to do or say or feel…'

'What's wrong?' She asked worried

'I think I'm in love with him'

'With whom? With Darren?' Ashley asked almost whispering

'Yes…' Chris replied still sobbing

'Why? When?' Ashley asked shocked

'I don't know! Just happened...you know better than anyone my story with him…'

'I thought I knew it, but I'm not sure anymore…' Ashley replied looking at her friend

'You knew I had a crush on him…' Chris answered wiping the tears that still covered his face

'Yeah like ages ago! And as far as I knew it was over. It was…and I'm quoting: A dark page in your record of crushes… wasn't it? And above all that, it was a secret. Your dirty little secret…it was our secret.'

'I know…but…maybe it's not over and it's not as dark as I thought'

She became silent for a minute trying to think hard, trying to match Darren in all this mess. Trying to figure out the link piece for this never-ending puzzle.

'Wait! Don't tell me you actually told him you had a crush on him!'

'No…not yet' Chris told gazing the floor

'Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! …Wait! Do you want to tell him?'

'Maybe…'

'OMG! Why...OMG, OMG, OMG! I need the whole story! I'm confused…why are you having feelings for him again? When did all this happen?'

'Before Thanksgiving…' Chris whispered

Ashley did the math. It was March. 'Months? Really Chris? 3 freaking months and you did not tell me!' She yelled

'I'm sorry! Okay? I'm really sorry. I've been a mess since then and now I don't know what to do to get my life back, I don't know how to continue without him in it' Chris yelled back

'For starters you can tell me the whole story…so start talking lady….'

'Do you remember what I told about the pre-thanksgiving dinner we had on set?'

'Yep…It was a dinner with the whole cast and crew. According to you, it was a funny and interesting night without much to report'

'It was a funny and interesting night, but not because of the dinner per se... And there's actually a whole book to report…'

'I have time…it's barely 10pm so we have ALL night!'

'Okay…but please try to understand. I do love Will, but this is different. I know you care for him as much as you care for me and believe me when I say this: these past few weeks have been a living hell for me! I feel so bad for all this crap and I wish…' Chris said starting to sob again

Ashley interrupted him. 'Shhhh it's okay…I love him, but I love YOU more…and don't worry I'm your friend, not your mom or Will's. I'm not going to judge you, but I need to understand everything so that I can help you'

'Okay…' Chris took a handkerchief to wipe the remaining tears and began to speak '…it all started with the stupid dinner. That day almost the entire cast was working on the last scenes before the holiday's break, there was a lot of movement, people coming and going. It was a complete chaos. The day went fast and when I realized, it was dark and we were running late for the stupid dinner. I do not remember exactly how things happened, but we ended up going together to the dinner'

'We?'

'Yeah! Darren, Lea, Naya, Chord and me. But by together I mean in the same car, Darren's car.'

'And?'

'Everything was fine until Matt decided to offer his house for the after party. Everyone started making plans and Lea, Naya and Chord left the restaurant with Matt…'

'Why didn't you go with them too?'

'Because Darren and I had to shoot a couple of scenes in the morning and they were going to keep partying until dawn…'

'Okay…what happened next?'

'Everyone left and we were alone. It was awfully awkward! Darren and I alone in the restaurant! Can you imagine that? Anyway...We asked for the bill and he offered to take me home and I said yes.'

'You two did not come back to the studio?'

'No we didn't, it was easier to go to my place. It was late, 1am to be precise and we had our call at 7am so instead of returning all the way back to the studio we come here...to my house…'

'And?'

'Oh Ash! I think that was the biggest mistake ever!' Chris started crying again. Not as desperate as the last time, but he was sobbing. Ashley was shocked; her mind was picturing Chris cheating on Will.

'Did you have sex?' Ashley asked shocked still contemplating Chris's face

'No! Oh God! Heaven! No we did not!' That shocked Chris. Maybe he was crying too much and overreacting to the situation, but he could not stop, he was ashamed of his feelings, he really was sorry.

'Sorry…what happened then?' Ashley asked trying to understand the mess

Chris breathed and started to remember. Everything was clear as if it had happened just yesterday. He was there with him in his car…

o-o-o-o-o

November 2013…

'It's late' Chris said focusing his gaze on the side window

'Yeah' Darren told with a smile on his face 'I think we'll regret this late dinner tomorrow'

'I know! Why did they not wait until we all finished recording all our scenes?'

'I guess it's because some of them will be flying home tomorrow'

'I know! But still is not fair…I mean…look at the clock!'

'2:15am' Darren whispered 'we'll be sleepy tomorrow'

'Yep'

There was silence after that brief conversation. They arrived at Chris's house almost at 2:30am.

'We're here!' Darren announced

'Yep…thank you!'

'You're welcome buddy…and don't worry about tomorrow…I know your car is at the studio so I guess I can pick you up and give you a ride to work…if that's okay with you of course...'

Chris held his breath. He hadn't thought about transportation. He swallowed slowly before answering. 'Thanks! That would be nice…'

'It's set then…6:30?' Darren asked smiling.

Chris didn't answered he just started picking up his stuff and while he was holding the door open his mind started messing around with his thoughts. _Darren and I…well…we're no longer friends, but he's still my co-worker, right? And he's always been nice with me even when I've been a complete asshole…_

'You know what? No! I mean, look it's late. Why don't you stay over? We can go together to the studio tomorrow. It's okay if you think it's a bad idea, but I was thinking that we both need to sleep and it's late and your house is farther away than mine and I think it's better if you just stay here and rest for a few hours. I have a spare room and everything…' Chris muttered. He was talking as fast as his heartbeats.

'Really?'

'Yeah, I really don't mind…but if you do, you can go. You don't have to worry about me, you're not going to hurt my feelings or anything, it's just a friendly invitation, it's not a big deal…' Chris was talking way too fast again. _Get a grip Colfer!_

'Okay' Darren answered smiling

'Okay?' Chris asked in disbelief

'Yeah like old times…'

'Like old times…' Chris whispered

o-o-o-o-o

'He stayed?' Ashley asked

'Yep…'

'Are you sure you did not have sex?'

Chris rolled his eyes again and replied 'I'm sure…though…' Chris looked down ashamed and blushed.

'What?' Ashley asked when she saw his friend's reaction

'Well… we didn't sleep either'

'You kissed him!'

'No, Of course not! Come on Ash! It's me we're talking about! I'm not a cheater!' Chris answered bitterly

'Okay! Sorry…what did you do then?'

'We talked…'

'Talked? Seriously?' She said laughing

Chris rolled his eyes. He was serious and she was just making fun of him.

'Sorry Chris…It's hard to believe…but let's say you two just talked…about what?'

'Us…'

'Us…as friends, co-workers or as something else?'

'All of them'

'OMG! I never thought that I would say this, but this is exciting! To be quite honest I was expecting a different plot, more dirty…maybe sexy, but I guess this is fine for now…keep going'

'Ashley!' Chris exclaimed

'Okay…okay…I'm sorry…continue with your story'

o-o-o-o-o

November 2013…

They both were sitting at Chris's couch barely touching their arms and trying to keep a straight face. The clock had ticked 3:30am. They had been there for almost an hour in complete silence. This was awkward and yet so normal. The silence was not as uncomfortable as used to be on set, it was almost as normal as it was in the past when they both shared time together. When they were friends.

'What happened to us?' Darren broke the silence

'What do you mean?'

'I mean…we were really good friends, right?…What happened?'

'I guess we drifted apart' Chris answered shrugging

'I know that…but why?'

Chris contemplated his answer for a few minutes. He wasn't sure about it, but still he replied.

'I guess the idea of us as a couple made us feel overwhelmed'

'It did? You felt overwhelmed?'

'I did…you didn't?'

'Not in that way…'

Chris looked at him making a face. He was not following Darren's idea.

'Don't look at me like that! I'm serious…'

'Okay! It's just that I'm not following you'

'What is it you're not following?'

'The not-in-that-way part…'

'Well I didn't used to see the whole CrissColfer situation as something bad. I mean, the harassment was annoying, but I guess that there were moments, several moments to be honest, in which I thought we'd end up being a couple'

'You did?' Chris asked incredulously

'Of course I did! Don't tell me you never thought of us as a couple? You never pictured us together?'

'As Kurt and Blaine I did' Chris replied trying to avoid a straight answer

'I'm not talking about Glee! I'm talking about us: Chris and Darren'

Chris was breathless. He had thought about it more than he wanted to admit to himself. In fact he had fantasized about being Darren's boyfriend so many times on his mind that he had even made a whole engagement-wedding-happily-ever-after-story.

'No I did not' he finally said lying

'Really? Wow…I guess I was the crazy one in the relationship' Darren shrugged

'You really pictured us together? As…boyfriends?' Chris asked still astonished

'Yep…I mean, we were perfect for each other, don't you think? We were good friends, we were excellent coworkers, we used to spend a lot of time together, and I think we lived amazing moments. Our families even knew each other…oh man! Those were good times, really good times…and you know what? I always thought that we…we used to...sort of...complement each other in a Ying-Yang way…'

Chris held his breath again. _What did he just say?_ He suddenly felt lost. He had always thought about telling him about his feelings for him and now he was actually telling him they could have ended up being a thing and that was unbelievable.

'Say something…' Darren said

'I don't know what to say'

They remained silent. Darren trying to guess what Chris was thinking and Chris trying to clear up his mind, the clock was ticking 4:15am.

o-o-o-o-o

'You didn't spill the beans? Why? That was the moment! You two were having a heart to heart!'

'I know! But I was shocked and I wasn't thinking straight!'

'You're always thinking! Maybe you should admit for once in your life that you were afraid…'

'Maybe…maybe not…at that time I was with Will and I thought I was in love with him…I wasn't precisely thinking about my feelings for Darren. I wasn't even aware I still had feelings for him. All of that talk was a shock for my system…at the moment I just took his words as some random confession, the problem came after the talk…'

'OMG Chris! Please continue I think I'm starting to understand this whole mess…what happened next?'

'I had a second chance to tell him about my crush and well…you can guess what I did'

'You spoiled it'

Chris nodded and closed his eyes resigned; a single tear ran down his face, now it was harder to remember.

o-o-o-o-o

November 2013…

'Are you still dating Mia?' Chris asked softly

'Yes…why?'

'Well…at that time…mmm…did you picture yourself leaving her to be with…me?' Chris hesitated with the last word

'I guess that if we had…sort of…explored the possibility of start dating, the answer would have been yes.'

'But you're straight…' Chris assured

'You know I'm not a label person Chris…I'm just Darren'

Chris stopped breathing again. _What is this? Why now? What would have happened if I had confessed my feelings? Knock! Knock! You're with Will: you love him!_ Chris wasn't pleased with the path his mind and heart were taking.

'If that was what you wanted, why didn't you try to make a move with me?' Chris asked intrigued

'I'm not sure. Naivety, fear, stupidity, comfort…who knows?'

'Comfort?'

'Yep! I was fine with our relationship as it was, you know? I was happy to have you in my life, we were friends, we were co-workers and in a way, I was also happy and fine with Mia. And then well... you started dating Will, good guy by the way, and at first all seemed well cause both of us were happy, but then…you stopped talking to me…'

'I didn't stop talking to you…we still talked at work'

'But it was not the same…what we had was special…don't you remember our silly debates? Our late night dinners? They were fun! And those nights on set watching movies in your trailer between takes?'

'I do! More than you think… and I'm so sorry…now I know I ruined our friendship...It was my entire fault' Chris answered crestfallen. It was the first time since they were no longer friends he had felt guilty and was overwhelming.

'Shhhh don't say that. It was not your fault…in that case we both screwed things up'

'You did nothing wrong! It was all me, me and my fears. I was the one who ruined our friendship! I was afraid! Will appeared And…mmmm…Will is a good guy, I love him and at that time, well…I was afraid, he was nice, attentive, romantic and I thought that our friendship was not healthy for my relationship. Everyone used to say that we were a secret couple and the truth is that I did not want Will nor my relationship with him fell into the same I-swear-we're-just-friends crap so…I…I…well…I thought it was the right thing to do!'

'Is that why you stopped talking to me?' Darren asked in disbelief

'Yes…and I'm sorry…'

'No, you don't have to be… It was the right thing to do. At least for your relationship…'

'I loved him...I still love him' Chris whispered

'So that means we cannot be friends again?' Darren asked contemplating the I-still-love-him part

_Do I want to be his friend?_ Chris thought. He was having a shock on his system. His heart and mind were not longer connected.

'No, I think we could give it a try…but we can do it more...mmm...discreet'

'You mean like secret friends?' Darren asked with one eyebrow raised

'If you don't want to do it it's fine' Chris said

Darren stayed silent. _He's clearly trying to give you the polite answer._ Chris thought. _He's always the nice guy_.

'I guess it's better than nothing' Darren said more to himself

'Are you sure?'

'Yep! Positive! Secret friends?' He asked smiling and raising his hand in a friendly way

Chris hesitated for a moment and then took Darren's hand. Darren squeezed Chris's hand tightly and stroked his knuckles in the most normal and friendly gesture. Chris was hyperventilating but he wasn't sure why. The clock was ticking 5:20am.

o-o-o-o-o

'You two are friends again and you didn't tell me? How dare you!'

'Secret friends…remember?'

'But I'm your best friend… we do not keep secrets, that's the whole point of the adjective BEST before the word FRIEND…you know? For a smart guy sometimes you're not so clever'

'I'm sorry' He answered still a little depressed

'You better be!…But keep going…what happened next?'

'Not much…'

'Don't tease me Colfer!'

'Really not much…the shocking part it's over'

'I'm not sure about that…perhaps the shocking part of THAT story is over, but I still need to know what's going on with you, with your heart and I bet it's more shocking than the story of your silly secret friendship!'

Chris rolled his eyes. There were days where he really wanted to be able to hide his true feelings from her, but he simply could not, he was an open book with Ashley.

o-o-o-o-o

November 2013…

'I've missed you' Darren told after a while

'I've missed you too'

They both smiled, still holding hands. Chris noticed that the birds were starting to sing and thought, for a moment, that like in the movies the spell would be broken with the bright new day, but it was not like that, the magic was still there, even with the sun peeking through the windows.

'We need to be in the studio in one hour and a half…' Darren said

'Party pooper!' Chris exclaimed hitting Darren's leg with their interlocked hands

'I was just making an statement! I have no intention of moving from this couch until we actually have to do it'

'We need to eat something' Chris replied

'We can buy something on our way to the studio'

'Okay…but we need to get ready…I have two bathrooms I guess I can lend you some clothes…you can use the one in the spare room and I…'

'Who's the party pooper now?' Darren teased

'Shut up!' Chris said standing up and smiling broadly.

o-o-o-o-o

'And that's it!' Chris exclaimed

'Oh no! No, no, no…what happened next?'

'We drove together to the studio, we shot the remaining scenes and I came home in my car. The end'

Ashley rolled her eyes; she knew there was something Chris was hiding and she wasn't going to rest until he told the truth.

'Right! And I'm your grandmother the Queen of England'

'Granny is that you?' Chris asked teasing Ashley and smiling for the first time

'Don't start Colfer…'

'Okay, okay…we had a really good time at work. I was happy, he was happy and all of it just felt right. Since then we have exchanged a couple of messages and went out for dinner a couple of times…and generally when we have to work together we try to enjoy the time and share everything as real friends do'

'And nobody knows about it'

'Nobody'

'Not even Will'

Chris gave her a don't-be-stupid look and said: 'Especially Will'

'Why?'

'I don't know. This was special…I felt like I had to treasure it'

'Again…why?'

'I don't know' Chris started sobbing again. This was the core of the mess.

'Yes you do!' Ashley insisted

'Okay! Okay! I was excited. It was something new…prohibited…what's wrong with that?'

'Nothing! I understand that part, but you put Darren above all of us! Above Will! Who was "supposedly" the most important part of your life!'

'That's the problem Ash!' Chris answered with tears rolling on his face again.

'I didn't know WHO was important for me until Darren happened'

'So you're trying to say that Darren is the most important part of your life?'

_That's it!_ Chris thought and answered with relief 'I think he is…always has been and always will be'

Chris was suddenly in peace. This was the cue he was waiting for, the revelation.

'Damn! This is more serious than I thought!' Ashley replied

'I'm being completely honest Ash…believe me, I've been thinking about this for months and I'm sure he is important for me…very important indeed'

'But you said you were confused, that you thought you were in love, but you were not sure'

'I am confused, but after telling you the story I think I cleared my feelings'

'Are you in love with him then?'

'I think I am' Chris answered with watery eyes

'You're not sure?'

'Not completely…99%'

'Why?' Ashley asked

'Cause things have always been complicated between us'

'He's still with Mia, right? Have you talked about that?'

'Yes he is and no we haven't…but I know he's not happy'

'Why?'

'He told me'

Chris was relieved. Something had clicked within him. All the fog that had clouded his mind was fading and he was beginning to understand everything.

'He told you he was unhappy?' Ashley asked

'Not precisely, he told me he was not sure about them as a couple anymore. He told me he felt...suffocated.'

'Suffocated by her?'

'By her, by Ricky, by her family...by everyone' Chris explained

'Even you?'

'No! Everyone, but me' Chris replied smiling a little

'Ah! I see...and when did he tell you that?'

'On Christmas's Eve...'

'Did you spend Christmas together?'

'No! I was home with my family and he was with his family too. He called me, we talked for hours…well, we almost talk every day since we became friends again'

'And Will didn't notice the phone calls?'

'No, because I have Darren's number under Amber's name'

'Clever! You two really took this secret friendship seriously, isn't it?'

Chris smiled, he was feeling more relieved with each passing minute, with the fog dissipated completely, he began to feel how the pain decreased and the excitement increased.

'I know you haven't told him about your feelings for him, but has he given you any sign to make you believe he has feelings for you?' Ashley asked doubtfully

'He has told me he's happy to have me in his life, that I'm the only reason he has to smile…that's something don't you think?'

'I guess…Are you sure you're not misjudging the signals?'

'Yes, I'm not sure if he's in love with me, but I do know he has feelings for me, I know I can make him feel…things.'

'What sort of things?' Ashley asked confused

'Things…you know? I've seen him'

'Seen what?'

'Seen him react to my touch'

'Whoa! What?' Ashley yelled

'Relax! Not that kind of touch. Let's say my innocent touch'

'What are you talking about?'

'Goosebumps, blushes, bon…'

'¿Bon?' Chris bit his tongue. _What am I thinking? I can't tell Ashley about THAT time!_ He thought. It was too personal even for a best friend.

'Nothing, forget it! That's personal!'

'Personal? You start telling the story and now it's personal?'

'Yes...' Chris whispered blushing again

'You're impossible!' Ashley said

'I know'

'You're not going to tell me then?'

'No, I already told you...You just have to tie the knots'

Ashley hesitated for a minute and then let go the subject. She was not interested in the personal-keep-it-to-yourself-stuff. She was more interested to know Chris's final resolution, so she asked.

'What are you going to do?'

'I'm going to tell him'

'When?'

'I still don't know…I need to find the right moment'

'And Will?'

'I guess I'm going to talk to him too'

'You can't break his heart like that'

'What else can I do? It's better if I tell him myself, besides he's not stupid he knows something's going on'

'Did you stop loving Will, just like that?'

'No, of course not! But with every passing day since that dinner I felt more and more confused, and I began to compare them and analyze myself when I was with them and…well…with Darren I was happy, joyful, relaxed and…with Will...I felt bored'

'They are soooo different you cannot compare them…why didn't you tell Will?'

'Because I thought it was something temporal…but then everything became complicated and confusing…you know? Will is amazing; he is gentle, loving, romantic, very handsome, but very similar to me. Sometimes I feel like I'm kissing myself, he is like ME just in another body. And with Darren I feel like someone completely different, he's so energetic! It's contagious…he makes me feel alive….'

'So you felt bored with Will…'

'Sort of…I mean yes…it was always the same. There was no spark in our relationship let alone in our lives or sex…'

'And you feel alive with Darren…'

'Yes! Have you heard the song Life in Color?' Chris asked

'The one of OneRepublic?' Ashley asked confused

'Yes! That's exactly how I feel when I'm with him…every time he smiles at me is like a blast into my heart: the sun is bursting, the clouds are breaking and I'm seeing my life in color…'

'Okay I think you're really in love with him…'

'I think I am. I love Will, but I'm not in love with him. I'm in love with Darren…I think I've always been'

They remained silent. Chris had ceased to mourn and was now in peace, his heart felt like if it'd been released. Ashley was shocked, but was able to understand the whole picture. His friend was in a complicated situation, a very complicated situation.

'Now what?' Ashley asked after a while

'Now we sleep…' Chris answered yawning

Ashley started laughing uncontrollably. Chris looked confused. _What's going on with her? Is she losing her mind?_

'Are you all right? I think I missed the joke'

'Sometimes you're such a lady…you stayed talking with Darren a whole night and now you're tired of a lil' girl talk?'

'I haven't slept for days…and I think is pretty late' They both glanced at the clock: 3:15am. It was late.

'All right…let's go to sleep, but we'll share bed! No way I'm going to let you sneak out into your room to cry like a baby…if you want to cry again you're going to do it in front of me!'

Chris smiled.

o-o-o-o-o

The room was in complete silence for several minutes, neither of them was sleeping. Ashley was trying hard to process all the shocking information and Chris was thinking about Will.

'Have you heard from Will?' Chris finally asked

'He texted me earlier, he's fine. He's at his old apartment'

'Oh!' Chris replied

'Don't worry about him, he's a big boy…everything is going to be fine'

'I hope so…I don't want to hurt him'

'I know you don't want to…at least not intentionally…'

'What can I do?'

'Just be honest and tell him the truth. I guess is going to be hard, but he'll understand…eventually'

The silence filled the room again. Chris turned on his side, while Ashley remained motionless. After a while Chris moved and spoke again.

'Ash? Are you still awake?'

Ashley was awake, but did not respond. She knew Chris needed to sleep so she pretended to be completely knocked out. Some minutes passed when suddenly she felt something lit the room, she opened one eye to see what it was and discovered it was Chris. He was unlocking his phone and texting someone. She kept her eye open trying to get a glimpse of who could it be at this late hour. After some several attempts she looked at the screen and saw he was receiving a message. It was just a tiny smiley face, Amber's name was in the submitter. _It's Darren!_ She thought and looked at her friend: Chris was smiling.

* * *

**This is the end of chapter 1, I really hope you liked it! I want to thank Su (my friend) for the long conversations about CC, her passion about them inspired this story! Don't forget to review, fav or share this story! New chapters are on the way...**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again! Sorry for the delay! I've been kind of busy, but here's the second chapter of this story. The 3rd and 4th chapter will be published during the week so stay tuned :) I'm currently editing the 5th chapter and writing the 6th. Thanks for the reviews, favs and follows, really they all are highly appreciated. Once again I warn you, if you're not a CC shipper please do not bother to read this, I'm sure you're not going to like it! Thanks again and don't forget to review, fav, follow and share!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Darren, Chris, or any of the persons mentioned in this story**

* * *

**CHAPTER 2**

Chris opened his eyes; the room was bright and quiet, very quiet._ Where's Ashley?_ He looked at the clock on the wall. _1:42pm Crap! It's late!_ He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, today for the first time since all of this had started he had had a proper night's sleep and it felt good, really good. He walked toward the kitchen; Ashley was talking with Brian, his cat.

'You want more Brian? I know is good, but this is no food for a cat…' Ashley was saying when Chris cleared his throat. Ashley was in fresh clean clothes. _Where did she get all the clothing?_

'Oh! Good morning sleeping beauty!' Ashley waved smirking

'Hi Ash…you have clean clothes'

'Ah! Yeah! I needed to run some errands so I made a detour to my house to get some clean clothes…I left you a note, but when I came back you were still asleep'

'I feel as if I had slept for a whole week'

'You needed the sleep…'

Chris poured some coffee and sat at the kitchen table. Brian ran and sat on his lap immediately.

'If you're hungry we can go and have lunch at that place you like or I can go and buy something while you take a bath'

'I want to go out…I think I need the fresh air…'

'Okay we can go as soon as you're ready. By the way, your office phone has been ringing all day, I turned off the sound, but the recorder is kind of full'

'It must be Will, I turned off my phone last night'

'No, you didn't, I saw you texting' Ashley said smirking

'I thought you were asleep' Chris teased

'I was, but the light woke me'

'Well, I turned off my phone after that'

'It was late…who was it?' Ashley asked although she already knew the answer

'Darren…'

'You were texting Darren at almost 4 in the morning?'

'Yes! I told him I broke up with Will'

'Just a reminder: You are not officially over with Will…'

'I believe the whole I'm leaving speech is part of the break up thing, don't you think?'

'I guess…and what did he say?'

'Who? Will?'

'No! Darren!'

'Here' Chris said pulling out his phone from his sweatpants pocket and throwing it to Ashley 'read it yourself…it's under Amber's name…I suppose I can change that now'

Ashley caught the phone and unlocked it. She already knew it was Darren, but she was curious about the whole conversation. She opened the messages box and read:

C: Are you awake?  
D: Yes, is everything okay? Are you all right?  
C: Physically I'm fine, but I broke up with Will  
D: You what? Why? Are you all right? Do you want me to go to your house?  
C: No I'm fine! Ashley's with me, but I guess we can have lunch this Sunday  
D: Are you sure? I don't give a shit about all this secret friendship…I mean if you need me, just say it and I'm on my way  
C: I know, but I'm fine! I think that's exactly the problem…I'm sad and everything, but I'm fine, kind of tired I think… but I'll catch up with you on Sunday okay?  
D: Okay, but promise me you're going to be fine!  
C: I promise...I'm fine  
D: I believe you. You're the strongest man I know. But really if you need me just call me I'll let you sleep. Have wonderful dreams…love ya!  
C: Thanks Dare you too have wonderful dreams…I love ya more!  
D: :)

So apparently she had only seen the last smiley face. She was happy for Chris, they really looked like a couple even though they were just friends however she could not help to feel a little sad about Will.

'You're going to lunch with him tomorrow?'

'Yes' Chris replied grinning

'He really cares about you'

'I know' Chris said still smiling

'Are you going to check your voicemail?'

'Later…I need a shower. I'll be ready in 20 minutes'

'Okay' Ashley smiled

o-o-o-o-o

They lunched at Chris's favorite coffee shop and talked about stupid things. Chris was feeling happy and relaxed. It was a bright new day, the only dark cloud on his heaven was Will.

'Do you think I need to talk to Will today?'

'No, I don't, give him some time...maybe in the week'

'I just hope he can forgive me'

'He will, not right away, but he will…eventually'

'Thanks for everything Ash...you're the best friend in the whole world! I love you!'

'Aww baby I love you too'

'Really…thank you!'

'You're welcome baby! You know I'm always here for you'

'I know'

o-o-o-o-o

Chris returned to his house alone, Ashley had some things to do and he took advantage of it to be alone. Ashley wasn't pleased with the idea of leaving him, but she could not deny that Chris's arguments were true, after all he really needed to be alone. _I need to be alone Ash, to face the fact that he's no longer with me…_

'Hello Brian' He whispered once he was inside his house

'did you miss me?' Brian purred

'Maybe you're missing him too, right? I mean I miss him, but I think is the best for us…Will is not going to be your daddy from now on, is that okay with you?' He asked and Brian purred again

'I know you liked him, but daddy was not happy, you know that, don't you? It wasn't working for me anymore. I was not in love with him' Brian gazed Chris. 'Thanks for understanding Bri I promise we'll be fine…more than fine…we'll be happy'

Chris stayed stroking Brian for hours. It was a relief to finally be able to be alone and have some time to think about everything. Eventually Brian got tired of him and went to his little cushion. Chris stood up and checked the recorder, he had several messages: Will, Dot, some friends of Will and his publicist. The work messages could wait so he skipped those and went straight to the others

"Hi it's me…you turned off your phone, I need to talk to you, call me" _Will!_

"Hi are you home? Call me" _Again? _

"Chris your phone still off…are you home? I need to talk to you if you're there please pick up" Chris rolled his eyes

"Hi it's me again. I know you don't want to talk, but could you make an exception? I need to talk to you…I know Ash's there, but I'm not calling her I need to talk to you" _Well...I don't_

"Hi, it's me again! I get it, you're not in the mood for talking and don't worry I just wanted to let you know I'm taking a brief vacation…I need some time to think about us…about what happened, don't worry about me I'm not going alone, Lana's with me…I'll text you as soon as I…mmmm…get back home…. maybe we can talk then…bye Chris…I love you"

"Hi I'm Lana, Will's friend. I just called to let you know I'll take Will out for a little break; I'm going to steal his phone so if you need anything, you can call me, okay? Hope you're fine…Kisses' Chris rolled his eyes again

"Hi Chris it's me Dot…Will told us…are you alright? Is there something we can do to help you? Let us know…"

Chris rolled his eyes for the third time. At least he would not have to talk to Will any time soon and that made him feel more relaxed. He took the phone and made some calls; he called Dot and some friends, everyone took the news with surprise. _Really? Am I that predictable?_ Finally he decided he needed to tell his family so he called Hannah, his sister.

o-o-o-o-o

He spent the rest of the day writing. His third Land of Stories' sequel was going to be published soon so he needed to hurry up, the time was running and he had no time to let his love problems took everything away from him. It was late when he stopped, his body aching and begging for some kind of rest.

_Knock! Knock! Knock! Who can it be now?_ He wasn't expecting anyone. He opened the door.

'Hi!' someone yelled at the door

'Darren! Hi! What are you doing here? I thought I'd see you until tomorrow' Chris said puzzled

'That was the original plan, but then I thought: Chris is going to be alone and after a break up there's just one magic cure, ice cream! So I brought you some…' he said smiling and raising a bag with two small cans of ice cream. Chris smiled

'Okay...come in'

They sat at the same couch together. Darren gave Chris a small plastic spoon and a can of Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

'This is for you…and this is for me…we can share, that's why I brought two different flavors'

'Thank you! This is actually awesome…' Chris replied smiling

'You're welcome…now tell me, what happened?' Darren said filling his mouth with Vanilla ice cream

'We had a fight yesterday and he left'

'Just like that? With no reasons?'

'No, he asked me if I loved him and I couldn't answer'

'Really? Why?'

'I don't feel the same for him than before'

'Wow…I didn't see that coming…so, you don't love him?'

'No…'

'Wow! It's hard to believe man! You told me just a few weeks ago that you do loved him…what happened?'

Chris wasn't ready to tell him the truth, so he lied.

'I got tired of him…I don't know what happened, but I was bored all the time so I began doing a whole self-analysis thing and I discovered I was not happy with him…'

'And you just told him that?'

'No, that was my mistake…I didn't tell him, I just let things go from bad to worse until it was impossible to keep the boat afloat and we eventually sink…'

'I'm sorry man! I'm really sorry…I know that you do loved him once, so I'm sorry this has not worked out…'

'Thank you…that means a lot to me…'

'Though I'm a little offended, you know?'

'Why?' Chris asked taking another spoon of the wonderful ice cream

'I'm your friend right?' Darren asked, Chris nodded

'Well…then you must know you can trust me…you could have told me about this, about your feelings…'

Chris almost bursts into laugh. _You want to know my feelings? Ha! If you knew!_ Chris smiled a little trying to hide his inner laugh and said

'Aww don't be such a lady…of course you're my friend and I know I can trust you, but you know me…I'm not the weeping gay guy, I'm a very private person…specially with this whole heart things, besides I'm a very good actor! Just look over there…over the bookshelf…see? There's a Golden Globe to prove it!'

Darren laughed loudly 'I still wish you had told me…'

'I'm sorry Dare…maybe later you'll understand my reasons to keep everybody out of this' Chris said and Darren shrugged.

'Anyway…Now I know…is there something I can do to make you feel better…a movie? Dinner? Just ask me…'

'This is fine' Chris said raising the spoon with ice cream 'Thank you'

They remained silent just eating the ice cream and sharing some spoonfuls every now and then. Eventually the time flew and Chris didn't want this whole ice-cream-sharing moment to end, he knew that Darren would have to go soon and that made him feel sad. Chris's eyes filled with some tiny tears so he looked down.

'What's wrong?' Darren asked raising Chris's chin with a tender move

'Would you stay over? I don't want to be alone...' Chris said

'Of course man!' Darren answered

'Thank you' Chris whispered

Chris really did not want to be alone, but not for the reasons Darren believed, but because he did not want this night to end, he did not want to stop feeling cared by Darren. It was stupid, he knew it, but having him just here sitting on his couch was helping him feel better, it was a relief to feel loved by him even if it was only as friends.

o-o-o-o-o

After a while they decided it was time to sleep, they had a light dinner and Chris lent Darren some clothes so he could be more comfortable.

'I was thinking…' Chris said trough his dresser door where Darren was changing 'what would you think if I asked you to sleep here…in my bed? I know it may sound crazy but...well the bed is huge I just want to feel someone close to me that's all... but if it's awkward for you or anything you can use the spare room...' Chris said nervous, his voice sounded weird like pitchy

'Shhhh, Shhhh, relax' Darren said coming out from the dressing room wearing Chris's clothes 'It's fine I don't mind sleeping with you…I'll stay here'

Chris blushed and Darren laughed.

'You have to stop seeing yourself as a predator of guys just because you're gay'

'I don't see myself as a predator, but I do know sometimes it's uncomfortable. Some guys are afraid of being close to me in that way…at least the straight guys'

'Thank heavens I'm not…let's go to sleep' Darren said pulling Chris's hand

_He's not? He's not what? Straight or afraid to be close to me in that way?_ Chris hesitated, but followed Darren to the bed.

o-o-o-o-o

'Your bed is huge man!' Darren said rolling in the bed like a small kid. Chris was motionless, it felt weird and yet so fine to have him on his bed

'I told you is too big'

'Yeah, and I'm a tiny guy so it feels bigger' Chris laughed. Darren was always in such good mood that it was infectious.

'You're quiet…' Darren said

'I'm thinking'

'About him?' Darren asked looking at Chris with two puppy eyes

_No you idiot! I'm thinking about you!_ 'No…I'm not'

'What are you thinking about then? You look kind of blue'

'Sometimes I think too much and I feel sad…'

'Why?'

'I don't know, I guess I'm a lost cause'

'But you do look sad, what were you thinking? You can tell me'

'I know…I was just thinking in…in my pity self…sometimes I'm such a needy person and don't even know why! For example, tonight I made you stay just because I didn't want to be alone…' _and because I wanted to have you close_. 'Sometimes I feel ashamed of myself'

'Don't be so hard on you…we all need some love every now and then…' Darren said pulling himself near Chris

'But looked at me! I'm pathetic!'

'I'm looking at you and all I see is a wonderful and bright young man, I'm sorry, but I'm unable to see something pathetic in you…' Chris sobbed 'You're wonderful Chris…come here!' Darren said pulling Chris near him. Chris blushed and kept sobbing quietly. Darren smiled and hugged him; Chris stopped breathing and then let go his tears. He was in Darren's arms and it was WONDERFUL. He started crying loudly.

'Shhhh, Shhhh everything's fine…you're going to be alright…I know you're in pain, but one day you'll be able to move on with your life. I promise everything is going to be fine…Shhhh, Shhhh relax Chris and try to sleep, you're not alone…I'm here…I'll always be…' Darren said embracing Chris tightly

_Of course everything is fine I'm in your arms!_ Chris thought. But he could not help but mourn. He still was feeling guilty for hurting Will and afraid of his own feelings. _What if Darren and I never ended up being together?_ Chris closed his eyes and focused his thoughts on Darren's breathing, on Darren's scent and without noticing fell asleep.

o-o-o-o-o

_ Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring!_ A phone was ringing like thousand of thunders in the room.

'Mmmm…' mumbled Darren

'It's your phone' murmured Chris

Darren opened one eye. He was embracing Chris, his arm surrounding Chris's body: they were spooning. He let go Chris and took his phone from the night's table. It was Mia; he rolled his eyes and silenced the phone. He turned around again and recovered his previous position, falling asleep right away. Chris was fully awake, still sleepy but quite alert. He waited for him to answer the call, but he didn't and instead he embraced him again. Chris was puzzled. _Did he just spoon me again?_ Chris hyperventilated and with the sensation of Darren's body against his fell asleep again.

o-o-o-o-o

Chris was making some breakfast, though with the hour it sounded more proper to say lunch. It was late again and he was surprised. _What's wrong with me? I'm sleeping like a bear in the winter._ He was busy trying to start the coffee machine when he heard Darren's voice, Darren's angry voice.

'I already told you Ricky! You're not my dad! So stop acting like one! I'll call her when I have time…. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know what? Forget it! I already told you! I'm not going to waste my time repeating everything to you…I have to go. Bye'

Darren came out of the room, his face bright red. He was pissed, really pissed.

'Everything's fine?'

'Yeah, Hi...I'm sorry about that and for the call in the morning'

'I didn't hear your phone ringing' Chris lied

'That's good! I thought it had woken you'

'No it didn't…are you alright?'

'No' Darren snapped

'Do you want to talk?' Chris asked carefully. Darren was clearly not in the mood for some teasing

'Do you remember what I told you about Ricky and Mia?'

'That they suffocated you?'

'Exactly…that's what's wrong!'

'Are they suffocating you right now?'

'Big time!'

'Why?'

'The call I told you before was Mia. She called in the morning, but I had already told her I was going to be out so I didn't answer. I turned off the volume so I didn't see all the missed calls; she called 10 times and left a thousand messages! What bothers me is that we had set to see ourselves until Tuesday or Wednesday 'cause we both had things to do and she said it was fine and now it turns out that she's not fine!' Darren rolled his eyes

Chris gave him a reassuring smile. He hated to see Darren so angry, but deep inside he was high-fiving Mia for all of the morning mess. _Way to go Mia!_

'Ricky called…she told him I was not at home and I got pissed! She's not my mom and clearly he's not my dad! He's just my manager and I can do with my time whatever the fuck I want! And I can sleep wherever the fuck I want!'

'Maybe she needed something' Chris said

'Of course she needed something: to bother me!' Darren yelled

'I don't think so, maybe she really needed help with something' Chris said trying to be the friend here, although those words weren't on his mind. _You annoying girl!_

'No, she never needs help…she never needs me' Darren shrugged and his smile disappeared

'What's wrong?'

'Sometimes this relationship is so confusing for me…you know me, right? I'm a people person, last night you told me about being a needy person, well I'm a needy person too and it's just that sometimes I wish I could be his prince, you know? She's always so independent…I mean, that's cool cause she's a strong girl and everything, but there are times in which I feel we're not a real couple, couples need each other, right?' Darren asked, Chris nodded 'Well…she never needs me! At the beginning it was fine, we were both very busy, but now we're not and she still doesn't need me…I swear there are moments where I wish I could be the one who rescue the damsel in distress, but unfortunately I'm always the last one to know when she's in distress'

'Really?'

'Yes…' Darren said sadly 'You know I'm a helper by nature…sometimes I feel like if I do not help someone I'll lose shape…I'll lose practice…'

'Well…you rescued me yesterday…' Chris said smiling 'And I can tell from experience you are in excellent shape'

Darren smiled broadly. Chris's heart was filled with warmth just by the sight of that smile. He was a prince, the most handsome and wonderful prince ever.

'I made some breakfast I mean lunch…are you hungry?' Chris said changing the subject

'Starving…' Darren said smiling

'Take a seat while I serve'

'And what's the plan for today? I know I changed the original plan, but we still have a lunch date it's just that now we have more time…what do you want us to do?'

'I don't know'

'Mmmm…think while we eat, when we finish you can tell me what you want to do okay?'

'Okay'

They talked as they ate; it was so easy for them to talk, they could take any random topic and develop a whole conversation. For Chris it was easy to be himself with Darren and for Darren it was a relief to finally be himself with someone.

'Your time is over…what do you want us to do?'

_Us!_ 'I think we can stay here in this clothes…mmm…eat more food, watch some movies, turn off our phones and just talk…we can call it a lazy Sunday…I enjoy just being with you like this, I don't need more to actually feel better…what do you think?'

'I think is the best idea ever…but you're missing something…'

'What?'

'The part in where neither of us take a bath!'

Chris laughed; Darren had the ability to make him laugh in the most stupid situations.

'Okay…no bath…how do we start?'

'Turning off our phones and then we can play a board game…'

'Do you want to play a board game?'

'Yes! Do you have games?' Darren said smiling like a two year old

'A few…'Chris answered not so thrilled

'Do you have Monopoly, Guess who? Uno cards, Life…Scrabble'

'Unbelievably…all of them'

'Yay!' Darren exclaimed smiling broadly

'Before you say something I want to vote for Scrabble' Chris said

'I knew you'd say that…I'm not as clever as you, so don't laugh with my silly words, okay?'

'Okay' Chris said already smiling

o-o-o-o-o

They spent the rest of the day playing, singing, eating and just having fun. At night they were lying on the couch watching one of the many Harry Potter movies when Darren said'

'I'll never get tired of watching these movies'

'Me neither…although the books are my favorites'

'They're terrific ,but so are the movies! They kind of make the story look real!'

'I know! Last year I had my own Harry Potter experience and it was amazing! I even pretended to fly my own broom…'

'That's awesome man! I want to fly a broom'

'Can I tell you a secret?'

'Of course! I love secrets'

'That trip was amazing and yet weird…'

'Why?' Darren asked intrigued

'I had YOU on my mind the whole time…I guess we had shared so many Harry Potter moments together that well…all of it…sort of reminded me of the good times. I even took some pictures that I knew you'd love…would you like to see them?'

'Really? Of course I want to! Show me!'

Chris ran for his laptop and began to search among the thousands and thousands of folders until he found the one he was looking for. He clicked the folder and showed Darren the pictures. Darren was spastic; his reactions to every picture were epic. He screamed, laughed, opened his jaw and mainly pointed out the screen in every picture. Chris was happy to finale be able to show Darren all those pictures.

'I thought I would never have the chance to show you this…I knew you'd be the only one besides me that could react properly to all of them…'

'They're amazing! I'm glad we're friends again! Would have been a shame to throw these wonderful pictures into oblivion'

'I know, I'm glad too' Chris smiled

Chris put the laptop aside and froze. Darren had just put his head over Chris's lap.

'Tell me about your life when we were not friends…I want to know what I missed' Darren said while closing his eyes

'There's no much to tell…'

'Of course there is! Tell me everything!'

'Almost everything is public knowledge…you can Google me! Did you know that?'

'I've done that, but I want you to tell me…go on! I'm listening…'

Chris hesitated for a minute; he was still a bit shocked for having Darren's head on his lap, but started talking

'Well, I wrote a second book…'

'Wonderful book…I think I told you back then that it was amazing, but let me be honest with you: it's TERRIFIC! So much better than the first one…'

'You really liked it?'

'I couldn't put it down and I cried at the end…like a baby'

'The third one is on its way…' Chris teased

'I know! I'm a big fan…I'm dying to know what the future holds for the twins…'

'If you behave yourself maybe…just maybe, I could let you read the draft of the first chapter…'

Darren opened his eyes with excitement: his smile, the most beautiful sight.

'Only if you behave…' Chris repeated

'I always behave…' Darren said smiling

Chris rolled his eyes and continued telling his story. 'And well…I made the book's tour, it was amazing 'cause I had the chance to travel and meet wonderful people…I went to several parties and events…in some of them you were there too so I'm not going to talk about them…and well I wrote another script for a movie, but I haven't found the sponsorship needed…what else? Oh! I went to Coachella and met some band members of The Lumineers'

'I was in Coachella too'

'I know…I saw you there…you were with your brother, sister-in-law and Mia, right?'

'Yep and some friends too…It was fun…Coachella is always fun'

'Yeah, it was fun…'

'Why didn't you say hi?'

'I already told you…I didn't want to spoil my relationship with all the CrissColfer shit…'

'If I had known you were there I would have gone to say hi…but I found out you were there until I opened twitter and saw the pics and sadly the whole festival was over…'

'I'm sorry'

'Don't be…is in the past…I guess we can go to this year's festival together…'

'That would be wonderful…' Chris said smiling slightly

'What else did you do?'

'Mmmm I guess that's everything'

'It can't be…but I'm not going to insist, I don't want you to feel sad if you remember something you did with your ex'

Chris just smiled and asked. 'Tell me about you…what did you do?'

'I did my tour…it was epic I had so much fun…it's been the best experience so far! I did the Girl most Likely movie premiere tour and well I've been working very hard; I did the hosting for the Teen Choice, the Peoples Choice nominees' and went to several events too…'

'Have you noticed we've always been together yet apart?'

'I know and that sucked! We saw each other all the time and we ignored rudely…that was sad….'

'I know! But it's not like that anymore'

'No it's not…although we're still secret friends'

'I guess we can change that now, just slowly…I don't want the media go wild with our friendship'

'I don't know…are you going to freak out again if they say we're dating?'

'No I'm not…I just want this to feel normal you know? I don't want them to ruin our friendship' Chris answered

'They can't ruin us…I'm not going to get rid of you…you're very important for me, more important than you think'

'You're important for me too…very important' Darren smiled and Chris began playing with Darren's curls. Darren jumped a little and Chris stopped.

'Don't stop I love when people play with my hair…'

'You do?'

'Yes! It makes me feel cherished' Chris smiled and an overwhelming feeling clouded his mind. He loved to cherish Darren; he was everything for him. _I love you, don't you see?_

'Would you like to hear a story?' Chris suddenly asked

'Yep' Darren answered. His eyes were still closed; he was savoring the sensation of Chris's magic hands on his hair.

'Well…this story is called: The Land of Stories: A Grimm warning. Unofficial chapter one…'

'Chris you don't have to do it…I can wait 'til the book go on sale' Darren said opening his eyes in surprise

'I want to…Now shhhh…this is my story…close your eyes…'

'But'

'Shut up! I want you to hear, so it's better if you close your eyes' Darren obeyed and closed his eyes. Chris breathed deeply and began telling the story.

'Once upon a time…'

o-o-o-o-o

An hour passed and Chris finished telling his little story. Darren was fully asleep; Chris was still stroking Darren's head with tender caresses.

'Darren? Are you really sleep?' Chris asked, staring at Darren's face, there was no movement. He was really asleep.

'Maybe it's not the right time, you know? But I have another story under my sleeve. Do you want to hear it?' he asked though he knew Darren was asleep

'This story is different, is about a boy who fell in love with a guy…' Chris waited for Darren to move, but he didn't, so he continued 'They were friends…best friends and they worked together too. This story is a little bit confusing, so I'll try to do my best!...'

'Once upon a time there was a boy who once dreamed of being a famous actor, author and producer. He was shy and had failed to achieve his dreams. One day he had the opportunity to be a part of a very important TV show and became the star he wanted to be. At first he thought he was dreaming, but after some wonderful and unbelievable months he realized he was actually starting to achieve his dreams.'

'Over time the TV show turned into a massive hit among the world's youth becoming the most successful teen series of all times. It was so successful that the producers decided to do a second season for the show. Imagine that! The boy was a TV star! Anyway... with the start of the second season they had to add new characters to enrich the stories and that's when fate crossed the paths of the boy and the guy' Chris made a pause to take some courage and continued telling the story

'I think this is the time in the story in which we make a pause to remember that the boy used to play a gay character that was sort of a reflection of his real life 'cause he, like his character was gay and was alone. One day the producers of the show called the boy and notified him that his character would have a new twist and would take a different path, they told him he'd meet a new guy who would be some kind of a gay mentor for the boy's character. The boy thought this was a good idea because there were hundreds of kids out there who would also need a mentor to prepare them to face their true selves. Anyway…the guy joined the show and earned the affection of everyone, cast, crew and audience insomuch that the producers gave him a whole recurring character role instead of the 3-chapters character that was originally planned.' Chris exhaled deeply.

'As you can imagine, the boy and the guy hit it off since day one and became very good friends. They were perfect for each other, they had a lot in common: movies, books, places, and music... It's not a secret that the boy already knew the guy, he had seen a very famous musical parody in which the guy was the star, however the fact of meeting him in person completely changed the boy's perception of him, to the extent that the boy started developing some kind of crush on him. You might wonder, why didn't he say anything? Well the boy never said anything because they guy was dating a beautiful girl and seemed to be in love with her.' Chris shrugged

'With the show's success and the chemistry between them everyone began to speculate about a secret relationship, they were just friends and the rumor was not true, but the press and the fans were so sure about them that the boy started to freak out a little. One day the boy met a friend's friend and start dating him. This other guy was great and according to the boy's description was everything he had always wanted. The boy thought he was in love so he started a relationship with him…the boy was so excited with all the new feelings he was having for this other guy that he actually began to forget his previous feelings for the guy. Time passed and the boy began to fear for his relationship with the other guy, the harassment of the press and the fans were a big menace so he made a decision and stopped talking to the guy'

'Their lives continued and although they remained being coworkers they were no longer friends. Shortly after that, the boy's boyfriend moved in with him and they began to live what they thought would be the greatest love story ever…but they were wrong…' Chris paused again; he needed air to tell the important part of the story.

'Like in every good story, one night everything changed…the boy became friends with the guy again and realized in that moment that all the feelings he once had were still there and more alive than ever…That night they became secret friends...'

'Now you can imagine that the boy was happy, he loved every minute he was able to spend with the guy and loved even more what they secretly shared. One day the boy realized that what he was feeling for the guy was so immense that he was actually willing to give up on everything just to be with him. So the boy started to behave strange with his boyfriend and they soon ended their relationship. The boy felt a little guilty for hurting the other guy, but he was happy to finally be free to try to win the heart of the guy. As you may have noticed, this story is not over yet and we do not know if the boy will be able to win the heart of the guy. What we do know is that the boy is immensely in love with the guy and dreams of being able to tell him one day how much he loves him and hear an "I love you too" in return. So far, the boy is happy to have the guy in his life even when they are just friends…I guess only time will tell if they're right for each other and if they can live happily ever after….' Chris finished the story

'The end…' he said.

The room was silent, just the clock on the wall was ticking. 'I wish you had been awake to hear my story Dare…' Chris leaned down and kissed Darren's forehead. Darren shifted a little and exhaled deeply.

'I love you' Chris whispered.

* * *

**I know! it's a cheesy chapter, but I kind of liked it, you can start to smell the romance... Once more a big thank you to Su (my friend) for inspiring this story. Hope you liked it too! Wait for the next chapter (I'm sure is what you're waiting for). XOXOXO**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello everyone! Sorry for the delay...I had tons of things to do..but now I'm back and ready to finish this story...to make it up to all of you I'm going to upload chapter 3 & 4 and perhaps the 5th one. Hope you all like this chapter! Thanks for the reviews, favs and follows I love you all...As always I warn you, if you're not a CC shipper please do not bother to read this, I'm sure you're not going to like it ;)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Darren, Chris, or any of the persons mentioned in the story. Remember it's just a figment of my imagination!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 3**

Three weeks had passed since Chris had ended up his relationship with Will. Everything seemed fine now and Chris was happier than ever. A week ago, one of Will's friends had gone to his house to pick up all Will's stuff. Chris was relieved because he had finally closed Will's chapter and was trying to move on with his life. His heart was in peace and in a way he was learning to survive with his feelings for Darren.

Darren and Chris friendship wasn't a secret anymore, they were friends again in front of everyone, nobody asked why, they just started to notice it and lived with it perfectly, after all it was natural and normal to see them act like idiots, the only difference now is that they were doing it together, like in the old times. At work everything was fine, they were busy filming Glee, Chris was finishing the arrangements for the release of his new book and Darren was working in some songs for his never coming album. In their personal lives everything was normal, Darren was unhappily dating Mia and Chris was trying hard to find the right moment to confess his feelings for Darren. In brief summary everything was fine, until Chris spoke with Will…

o-o-o-o-o

Chris opened his eyes; he was not at his home. He was in someone else's home. He turned around and saw he was not alone either; he was with someone. _Where am I? Why am I in yesterday's clothes?_ He thought. Suddenly the images of the night before hit him like storm thunders. _Crap! Crap! Crap! __Crap! Crap! Crap!_ What did I do? He panicked for a minute and without thinking it too much took all his things and ran out from the house with just one heading on his mind: Ashley's apartment.

It was Saturday, 6:30am, and Chris was knocking at Ashley's door like if his life depended of it.

_Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock!_ 'Please! open the door Ashley…I need to talk to you' Chris said with desperation on his voice

_Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock!_ 'Please open up Ash! I need you!' Chris repeated

After a few more minutes the door finally opened. Ashley was drowsy, sleepy and still with her PJ's on.

'I'm sorry I woke you, but I'm desperate and I was not sure about what to do or where to go so I came here hoping you can help me…'

'Are you alright?' she asked

'Yes…I mean...No! I'm desperate!'

'Okay…okay…relax…tell me what happened…just let me prepare some coffee okay?'

Chris nodded while Ashley was turning on the coffee machine. They sat waiting for the coffee to be ready and she poured two cups. They had sipped only once when Ashley asked:

'Okay, now tell me what happened?'

'I told him…'

'Told whom, what?' she asked still a little sleepy

'I told Darren I was in love with him!'

'WHAT!' Ashley yelled spilling the coffee

'I told Darren I'm in love with him'

'I already heard that…When? Why? What did he say?'

'He kissed me…'

'He WHAT? OMG Chris! You cannot throw me this kind of news without any warning! My brain's still sleeping'

'I'm sorry! But that's what happened, I told him and he kissed me and I'm desperate…I don't know what to do or think or say...I'm still shaking…look' Chris said raising his left hand to let Ashley see that he was shaking.

'Chris! This is like an atomic bomb of information for these early hours! Have a little mercy and tell me the whole damn story! I need every bit of it from the beginning…by the way, why are you still in yesterday's clothes?'

Chris blushed. Ashley's jaw dropped dramatically.

'Did you sleep with him?' she asked

'I though you wanted the whole story?' Chris asked sardonically

'I want it, but OMG Christopher! You better start talking before I start screaming!'

'Well for starters I need to confess you something'

'Go on'

'Yesterday at lunch I lied to you…'

'About?'

'My plans for the night…'

'Why?'

'Because I was sad…you know I talked with Will and well I almost cried all night because of something he said...so I was afraid of your plan to tell Darren. Yesterday I made myself a promise, I swore I would never tell him about my feelings, after all, I had survived almost 3 weeks without telling him...and well... I was sure you'll make fun of me and would try to convince me to do otherwise…I'm sorry I freaked out, I was going to be at his place and I though you would insist with your stupid plan and so I lied to you…'

'You freak out a lot don't you think? Don't worry I forgive you…though sometimes you're such a drama queen…you remind me of Kurt…'

'Shut up…would you like me to continue?'

'Please…' she said smirking

'Well…everything started in the morning. I was late for my call and all my scenes were rescheduled, I was waiting at my trailer when Darren came in…'

Chris closed his eyes and let his memories come to life again.

o-o-o-o-o

A few hours earlier…

Chris was at his trailer, with the whole rescheduling thing he had to wait for almost half an hour to start rehearsing. He was answering some emails when someone opened the door. He knew who it was: Darren. He never knocked the damn door.

'Hey Chris!' He said smiling, but his smile left his face as soon as he saw Chris's face 'Jesus! Chris! What's wrong? Have you been crying?'

_Is it that obvious?_ Chris thought

'A little…'

'Why?' Darren asked worried

'I talked to Will yesterday…'

'Really? OMG! Why didn't you send me a message? I could have been there with you to give you some moral support…'

'It's fine…I'm fine'

'But what happened? Why did you cry so much? And don't lie 'cause your eyes look like two big blue puffy balls…'

'It's a long story…'

'We have some time…20 minutes perhaps…'

'Would you mind if we talk about it later? I don't want to ruin my make-up with more stupid tears'

'Okay, no problem…I got an idea! Why don't you come over to my place after work? We can have dinner and talk about your life privately…what do you think?'

'Okay, I think it's an splendid idea, I approve the plan' Chris answered smiling; it was always fun to be at Darren's place. _You can be just his friend, his best friend._

'Deal…what were you doing when I came in?' Darren asked watching Chris's laptop and the tons of papers that covered the desk

'Answering some emails and rehearsing…actually…would you mind practicing some lines with me? I didn't have time to actually read the script'

'Yeah…sure!'

o-o-o-o-o

'Okay…so he invited you to his house…no big deal there…what happened next?'

'We had lunch with you…'

'But didn't he tell you something between takes or anything?'

'No, he respected my silence; he's a good friend. We only worked and then went for lunch with you guys…'

'Okay…skip the working part and go straight to the point I'M DYING HERE!'

'Okay, okay…'

Chris closed his eyes and a tiny smile was born on his lips. Everything was like a dream come true.

o-o-o-o-o

A few hours earlier…

'Are you ready to go?' Darren asked Chris

'Yeah sure…just let me make a call…you can go ahead, I know where's your house, you don't need to wait for me…I'm not a baby, I can take care of myself'

'Nonsense…I'll wait for you at the parking lot… My car is parked next to yours'

'Okay…I'll be there in a minute' Chris said smiling and taking his phone out of his pocket

Darren nodded and left the trailer. Chris breathed deeply and made his call. After some minutes he reached Darren at the parking lot.

'Ready! We can go now!' Chris said smiling

'Okay…are you sure you want us to take two cars?'

'Yes, I'm not going to leave it in here again…'

'You know I can take you home later…'

'I know that, but I don't want to come back here tomorrow only for my car…'

'As you wish' Darren sighed

o-o-o-o-o

They arrived at Darren's house and ordered some food. They both sat down at the couch and waited for the food. The doorbell rang and Chris stood up to get the food; Darren walked to the kitchen and took two cans of diet coke out of the fridge. As soon as they were eating, Darren asked:

'Tell me what happened?'

Chris inhaled deeply. He wanted to talk, but it was harder with him than with Ashley, with her he could be completely honest and tell the whole truth and with him…well...he needed to skip some parts, the important parts.

'Do you remember that I told you he was on vacation?'

Darren nodded

'Well…He texted me yesterday…he had just arrived and wanted to talk to me…'

'Did you invite him over?

'No! He invited himself! I was texting him back when he knocked my door….'

'Really?' Darren asked

Chris nodded while he ate some food.

'What happened? Did he hurt your feelings? Did you discover you still love him? Why did you look like if you had cried yourself to sleep?'

'One question at a time' Chris said smiling

'Why did you look like if you had cried yourself to sleep? Did he hurt you?'

'Because that was exactly what happened, I cried myself to sleep as soon as he left and no he didn't hurt me'

'Then why did you cry yourself to sleep?' Darren asked

'…I cried because I realized something…'

'You realized that you're still in love with him?' Darren asked

'No...'

'Then...What?'

'Something Will told me when he was leaving' Darren looked puzzled. 'Let me finish the story…I'll tell you about it later, okay?'

'Okay' Darren said with his mouth full of food

'After I heard the knock on the door, I froze, I was afraid to open the door and well…after thinking it for a while I let him come in, but I was very startled'

'Of course! That's normal, he had just show up with no warning…what did you feel when you saw him?'

'It was hard having him in my house again, I felt sorry for him. He was always such a good boyfriend, he was kind, tender, romantic and sweet…but it was obvious the spark between us was over…the air around us was empty'

'I know the feeling' Darren murmured

'You do?' Chris asked intrigued

Darren shrugged 'Never mind…continue'

Chris paused; Darren's eyes were in pain. He knew him too well to tell the difference between Darren's happy and sad eyes.

'Is everything all right Dare?' Chris asked

'Yes, perfect…please continue'

Chris shrugged but continued. 'Well…we stayed in silence for hours...it was awkward, very uncomfortable, it was as if we had nothing left in common…I swear it was weird, we had shared so many things as friends and as boyfriends and now there was nothing left between us…whatever…the thing is that we stared at each other for a very long time until he spoke'

'What did he say?'

'He wanted to know what had happened and I told him what you already know…I told him I was bored and everything'

'You didn't…' Darren teased

'Yes I did it! And to be quite honest I felt awful right after I did it…but I think it was the right thing to do…'

'Of course it was the right thing to do…though I imagine it must be hard, it's not an easy task to tell someone you supposedly love that you're not sure about your feelings and I cannot imagine what would it be to tell him (or her) you don't love him anymore…' Darren said with a hint of sadness on his voice.

Chris hesitated; Darren's words sounded more intended for himself than for Chris. _Him (or her)? What's happening?_

'It was very difficult indeed cause I was hurting him either way…To be honest I only had like two ways...two options: to be or not to be with him and well…if I stayed with him, eventually he would have suffered because of my lack of love and interest and well… by telling him the truth and telling him goodbye…well…you know that sometimes the hardest things and the right things are the same…'

'Precisely…' Darren whispered 'what happened then? Was he just okay with your explanation? Didn't he try to get you back?'

'No, he was busy trying to understand everything so I guess that a make up attempt wasn't at the top on his priorities list, although he did try it at the end, but that's another part of the story…well answering to your question he was not okay with my decision neither with my reasons so he asked me for a more detailed explanation and well…after thinking it too much I answered him, I guess he deserved to know the whole truth…he deserved to know everything…'

'The whole truth? Everything?' Darren asked confused 'Why am I suspecting I do not know the detailed explanation, the everything you're talking about…'

'Because you don't…' Chris replied

'Oh! Why?'

'I don't know' Chris shrugged

'Well…we have time...if you want I think you can tell me the-everything now'

'I don't know if I can' Chris said trying to put his mind in motion. He needed to find an excuse to lie, he needed to find a way not to tell Darren the truth. It was not the right moment for him to know, he was still with Mia and what Will had said was now making sense on his mind. _You're his downfall…remember you swore not to tell him...think Chris! Think hard!_

'Why?' Darren asked

'It's hard to explain…' Chris answered trying to win some time

'But I'm your friend…I'm not going to judge you, I just want to know'

'I know, but still…' Chris answered.

Chris mind was running like two thousand leopards in the wild jungle. He needed to find something to hold his tongue and avoid telling him everything. Telling him he was in love with him. _Think Chris! Come on! Think hard!  
_

'Did you fall in love with someone else?' Darren asked trying to help Chris

'What makes you think that?' Chris asked stunned and a little bit afraid. _WHAT!_ _Can Darren read my mind? Don't be an idiot Chris! He's just asking an obvious question...  
_

'It happens…' Darren answered. Chris looked puzzled and Darren continued

'Don't look at me like that…it's just that well, I think that once you fall for someone for the first time, you really never stop loving, you know? You just change of people, but your heart is always full of feelings…'

Chris raised an eyebrow confused. Darren laughed and explained

'It's something I've always thought…When you stop loving someone is because there were some "things" missing on that person… some "things" that were kind of a must for you, you know? something you needed to have to keep feeling in love...I don't know If I'm making myself clear…but there are moments in life, when you meet new people and discover that there are certain "things" you'd like to have in your life too and well...that's when everything becomes difficult because you're in love with someone, but deep inside you're wishing that the person with whom you're sharing your life could have what you found in someone else…Are you following me?' Darren asked. Chris nodded

'Is like if you were a puzzle…you need to find the missing pieces in your life in order to be complete…' Darren said

'But that sounds impossible, you can't be with two people at the same time…you can't have all the pieces together. There will always be something missing…' Chris finally said

'I know, but that's when the BIG choices in life are made…you need to find the right pieces to make the puzzle look presentable…almost complete…and sometimes those key missing pieces are in someone else…you just need to learn what it's best for you...who's better for you'

'Have you ever been through that?'

'Maybe…but we're not talking about me…you didn't answer my question…Are you in love with someone else?'

Chris blushed.

o-o-o-o-o

'What did you answer?' Ashley asked anxiously

Chris remained silent. He was blushed from head to toe

'What do you think?' He teased

'OMG!' She screamed.

o-o-o-o-o

A few hours earlier…

Chris was confused, he had tried through out the whole conversation to hide the truth, but Darren words were so accurate that he simply lost control and opened his mouth.

'Yes…' Chris whispered

'Of whom?' Darren asked intrigued; Chris's gaze fell. Darren noticed Chris's insecurity and trying to help him, he said:

'It's okay buddy! If you don't want to tell me just yet it's fine…I don't need to know right away, the important thing is that you're fine…and in love…and that's terrific…LOVE is the best thing in the world, it makes you feel alive and complete. I'm happy for you, you're very important for me and your happiness is mine, so for now I'm fine with the short version of the story. I just want you to be happy, you're a wonderful man and you deserve all the love in the damn world! You're a very lovable person, did you know that?'

Chris looked at Darren and for the first time in his life he didn't think and answered: 'Of you...'

'What did you just say?' Darren asked puzzled

'Nothing' Chris replied immediately regretting his words. _What did I do! Crap! Crap! Crap!  
_

'Don't lie to me Chris! What did you say?' Darren said looking away; his eyes were confused.

'I didn't say anything' Chris lied

'Yes you did…what did you say?'

Chris's heart started pumping blood like crazy; he could felt every part of his body turning red. _He must have heard me…I need to tell him…I need to be brave! It's now or never!_

'I'm in love with you…' Chris answered in a whisper

Darren backed up a little clearly stunned by Chris's answer. Chris wanted to disappear. _What is he thinking? Is he afraid? Terrified? Stunned?_ The fear made Chris talk.

'Don't worry, I know it's silly and stupid, but I couldn't, not wanted, to help it…every moment we spent together was a shot of joy to my heart, a blast and well it was something inevitable…you even said it once: we complement each other, we're compatible and well...I know it's crazy, but I think I found in you what I was looking for and…' Chris was finally telling the truth when Darren interrupted him

'Shhhh' he said. Chris held his breath 'Could you repeat what you just said?' Darren was clearly confused, intrigued and puzzled.

'I know it's silly and stupid and I couldn't help it…' Chris began repeating his last words

'Not that part!' Darren snapped

They both remained silent. Chris was unable to speak, he was petrified, almost frozen. Darren was gazing the floor and clearly having an internal struggle. After a very uncomfortable and silent minutes Darren asked again:

'Are you really in love with me?'

Darren was looking at Chris for the first time since the confession, his eyes were lost; he was neither sad nor happy, he was confused. Chris watched him and murmured almost in a whisper

'Yes...I love you...'

Without any warning Darren approached Chris and kissed him deeply. Chris gasped in surprise and hesitated for a minute, but as soon as he felt Darren's lips on his, not Blaine's, he was lost. Chris's head went to the clouds, his heart melted with pure joy and he kissed him back passionately.

o-o-o-o-o

'He kissed you! Just like that?' Ashley exclaimed screaming

'Yes…' Chris muttered feeling overwhelmed by the sensation again

'Wow…I didn't expect that…what happened next?'

'We continue kissing…'

'I'm aware of that…but did he tell you something?'

'Not precisely…' Chris said cowardly

'What do you mean?' Ashley asked; Chris's mouth shut abruptly. 'Don't start this again Chris…you know I hate when you play around with the answer…'

Chris smiled and began speaking again. This time he was smiling broadly, his heart was savoring the feeling of every moment, of every word.

o-o-o-o-o

A few hours earlier…

'Darren…' Chris whispered through Darren's lips

'Shhhh' he murmured

'Dare...'

'Shhhh'

They continued kissing, Darren's lips were passionate, they were hungry, hot and Chris was losing his mind. When he realized, he was already lying on the couch with Darren's body above his own. He could feel his whole body reacting to Darren's kisses.

'You're so beautiful…' Darren murmured; the confusion was evident on his voice.

'Darren I think…we' Chris said breathless

'Shhhh don't say anything'

Chris's head and heart were having a war. His heart was all in love and jumping like a two year old on Christmas Eve, but his mind was thinking about Mia, Darren's girlfriend.

'Darren….'

'Shhhh you'll ruin it…Do you want me to stop?' he asked

_No! Please no!_ His heart shouted. 'No but…'

'Then shut the fuck up…'

Darren's mouth found Chris's and silenced him with a kiss. After a very long time, Chris took a deep breath and said:

'I need to breathe'

Darren smiled and buried his head under Chris's neck; the touch was sending electric currents through Chris's whole body. They stayed lying on the couch in the same position for a few more minutes until Chris spoke again:

'I think I better go…'

'Why?' Darren asked. 'Have I offended you in some way?'

'No, but this is wrong you're just trying to be nice with me and I think it's better if I just go...maybe we can pretend that none of this happened'

'Don't go please...I swear I'm not trying to be nice...'

Chris rolled his eyes and Darren sighed.

'Please Chris! Can you please try not to think too much for just one night?' Darren asked

'Why? Why do you want me to stay?' Chris asked challenging

_Why does he want me to stay? He's with her! he's not gay...Damn, but that kiss was so good...it was loaded with what? Passion? Love? Friendship?_ Chris was confused.

'I don't know! I just need you to stay' Darren said; his eyes were lost. 'please…Can you do that without knowing my answer?'

Chris remained silent. _Can I?_ He was confused and dizzy due to all the kissing; his heart was still making flips like a ballerina, but his mind was working. _He's with her…he just wants to be nice. He's always the nice guy! He's not gay!  
_

'Can you?' Darren asked again

'Maybe…'

'Then come…I think we need to sleep. It's late!' Darren said pulling Chris from the couch 'and try not to think too much, okay? I believe it's better if you just keep your mouth shut…just don't say a word for tonight okay?' Darren asked and Chris nodded. He was speechless. _What is all this?_

o-o-o-o-o

'OMFG! He took you to his room?' Ashley asked astonished

'Yes'

Chris answered slowly. Talking about all that had happened was making him feel more confused and dizzy. He was happy yet worried and afraid, very afraid. According to his psychologist that was the perfect combination for disaster.

'What happened?' Ashley asked anxiously

'Nothing'

'Nothing?' Ashley asked in disbelief

'Really! Nothing happened'

'I can't believe it'

'Well...we kissed again'

Ashley snorted and rolled her eyes.

o-o-o-o-o

A few hours earlier…

'I want to kiss you again' Darren said when they were both lying in the bed 'is that okay with you?'

Chris was going to answer when Darren interrupted him

'Shhhh remember…no words, just nod…'

Chris nodded and Darren started kissing him again. After a while Chris was tired of being silent so he spoke again

'Why are you doing this?'

'I don't know' Darren answered sincerely 'I told you not to think too much…'

'I can't help it…'

'I know you're the smartest guy in the world…but please no more questions…just forget about everything and everyone for a few hours'

Chris thought for a minute, but before he could say something else Darren's lips were on his again, kissing him passionately.

o-o-o-o-o

'OMG Chris!' Ashley exclaimed clapping

'I know…I still find it hard to believe'

'I don't, it's pretty obvious he's into you, but he doesn't know yet'

'I don't think so…'

'I do! He did not say everything with words, but with his actions he kind of admitted too much…'

'Do you really think so?' Chris asked

'I do! But do not try to change the subject…you slept with him!' Ashley's jaw dropped again

'Yes, but not as you're thinking….'

'You two did not have sex?' she asked incredulously

'No…we just sleep together…'

'Really?'

'Yes'

'Why?' She asked a little bit astonished

'Why? Because he's with Mia…'

'Yeah...her...I know they're dating and everything and I feel sorry for her cause she's kind of nice when she's not being sarcastic, but this is over the top…what you two have is different...is HOT…' Ashley teased. Chris rolled his eyes

'Can I ask you a question?'

Chris nodded... 'Did he want to have sex with you?'

'I don't know, he didn't show any intention…'

'No? I don't believe you! I could swear that there's a sexual tension between you two just waiting to be satisfied'

'Ashley!' Chris yelled

'Sorry not sorry…it's the truth. Why do you think everyone thought you were a couple? The chemistry between you two is evident…even a blind man can see it! It's almost palpable…' Chris rolled his eyes again 'Okay I get it…no sex…what happened then?'

'We made out until we both were too tired to continue and we fell asleep'

'Really?'

'Yes...'

'Then what happened? Why did you come here? Did he do something to upset you? Did he say something?'

'No, he was fully asleep when I left…I guess I freaked out…this whole situation is so wrong!'

'I don't know...it can't be wrong…it's what you wanted, right?'

'Deeply in my heart, yes! But I guess in my head I'm aware it's impossible…'

'Wait! What? Three weeks ago you were all crazy repeating how much you loved him and talking about how you two complemented each other and all of that stuff and now you are aware it's impossible?' Ashley asked in disbelief

'Yes…I think I am a little aware…well…Actually I was not, but maybe Will helped me to see the truth…'

'Will? Why? How? What truth?'

'Before he left for good he turned around and told me something'

'What did he say?'

'He said and I'm quoting: I do hope you find someone who loves you half as much as I love you 'cause the guy you say you're in love with, is not going to give away everything just to be with you…you're a smart guy Chris, think about it, he has more to lose …let's be honest you're his downfall'

'Did he say that?'

'Yes…and I think he's right…Darren cannot be with me…I'm his downfall…'

'Christopher Paul Colfer! Are you actually listening what you're saying?'

'Yes…'

'No! I think you're not! He is the boy you love and judging by his actions I think he has feelings for you too…you can't throw away your happiness just because there are some stupid prejudices around you two…or just because Will told you that stupid and quite selfish commentary'

'But he's with Mia!' Chris yelled 'Think about it Ash! She's better for him…I'm going to ruin his career. He's so damn talented! You know what "gay" means in the Hollywood industry…is a burden, a black mark…I don't want that for him, I love him…you know? Every time I look at him I see a star, he was born to be famous, he's a singer, a musician, an actor and a marvelous human being…Sometimes I think he can aim for the moon and actually reach it…but with me I don't think he can achieve great things…'

'With you he can aim for the fucking moon too and reach it if he wants to and if he also wants the damn sun he can reach it too…I give you the point about Mia...I know he's with her, but he's not happy and we both know that...maybe he just need to fix that situation with her and then he can be with you...You're only going to be his downfall if he's in love with you and you walk away and hide your feelings…don't you see that?'

'No…'

'Why not?'

'I'm gay…and he's…well…he's not 100% straight, but he's not 100% gay either. I know who I am and I decided to be an actor even when I knew I was going to be labeled and he didn't…he's straight, remember? I can't be that selfish, I love him and I want what's best for him…Maybe he can try to fix his relationship with Mia and forget about me and be the star he was born to be…'

'I'm going to pretend you didn't say a word and I'm just going to tell you one thing so you better listen carefully…YOU CAN'T CHOOSE FOR HIM! If he wants to be with you he's going to be with you, I don't think he's going to get away from you if he actually has feelings for you…the right person for Darren is the one who makes him happy…and after what you told me I believe that the right person is you not her! What's best for him is up to him, just him! You can't choose, but you can offer him an option to be happy! Love is never selfish Chris…love is the most wonderful thing in the damn world! you deserve to be happy and feel loved...So go away! Pick up your stuff and go back to his house…you need to tell him how much you love him!'

Chris remained silent. Ashley's words made sense in a way, Chris was remembering Darren's words when they had talked about the whole suffocating thing and the puzzle explanation was constantly popping on his mind. _Love is the most wonderful thing in the world_…_Maybe she's right! I can't choose for him but I can offer him an option…maybe he wants to be with me! Maybe...maybe I'm his missing pieces…_

'I can't go back…I can't face him…'

'WHAT?' Ashley yelled

'I'm afraid! Okay? No! I'm not afraid! I'm TERRIFIED!'

'Terrified? Of what?'

'Of everything! Of the idea of being with him and not being with him…I'm afraid about the decision he will eventually have to take between Mia and me, I'm afraid of his future...his career…of my heart…'

Ashley rolled her eyes 'But you do love him, right?'

'More than my own life…' Chris answered sincerely

'Then what the heck are you waiting for?'

Chris shrugged not knowing how to answer to Ashley's last question. _What am I waiting for?_ In that moment his phone rang. He looked at the screen and his heart skipped a beat. _It's Darren! Crap! Crap! Crap!  
_

'It's him…' he said panicked

'Answer him!' Ashley urged him

'I can't…' Chris answered panicked and throwing away the phone

Ashley rolled her eyes and tried to reach for the poor phone that was lying motionless on the couch. Eventually the phone stopped ringing and a new sound broke the silence. It was a message. Chris ran and took the phone before Ashley could reach it.

D: Why did you leave? I think we need to talk. I'm on my way to your house!

'Fuck!' Chris exclaimed

'What?' Ashley asked intrigued

'He's on his way to my house…he wants to talk…'

'Really? Then Go! Go! You need to talk to him too…'

'I can't' Chris said panicked

'Yes you can…you need to tell him how much you love him and all about your fears…but first see what the boy has to say'

'I don't know if can be able to be near him…'

'Why? Are you afraid of him?'

'No...'

'Then I don't see the problem...I know you're strong enough for this'

'I'm not sure about that…'

'But I am…it's going to be hard and maybe a little awkward after the hot make out session you two had, but you need to do it'

Chris was completely flushed; the description Ashley had given was so accurate. _Hot make out session…really hot...  
_

'And besides I know you love him…and I bet you could not bear to lose him, after all he's your best male friend'

_That's true! I can't lose him! Not again!_ Chris inhaled deeply and then let go.

'Maybe you're right…'

'Of course I'm right! Go! Go! You need to hurry up! He must be almost at your house!'

'Okay'

'…And Chris...call me as soon as you two have talked'

'Sure...' Chris said rolling his eyes

'And also if you two have sex!'

'Ashley!' Chris yelled

Ashley laughed and he rolled his eyes again while picking up his things. He was shaking, but he wasn't willing to lose his friend so he took a big amount of air and closed the door of Ashley's apartment. Next stop: his own home.

* * *

**I loved this chapter! Personally is one of my favorites hope you liked it too. As always a big THANK YOU to Su for her passion about this boys...you're the reason behind this story...**

**Don't forget to review, fav, follow and share this story...XOXO**


	4. Chapter 4

**As I promised in chapter 3 here's chapter 4. I hope you all like it...it's shorter than the previous ones, but I think it's still nice...****As always I warn you, if you're not a CC shipper please do not bother to read this, I'm sure you're not going to like it ;)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Darren, Chris, or any of the persons mentioned in the story. Remember it's just a figment of my imagination!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 4**

Chris arrived at his house in a rush. He expected to find Darren there, but fortunately there was no one in the front of the house, so apparently Darren was late. Chris entered his house and closed the door immediately. He was anxious, more anxious than ever. He had driven all the way from Ashley's apartment to his own house in just 5 minutes, a new record; the idea of Darren coming to his house to talk about last night events made him press the pedal to the metal. Maybe later he'll have to deal with some traffic infractions, but right now he was not worried about any of that, he was just thinking about Darren…

'Brian? Brian? Where are you little one?' Chris asked looking for his cat

The cat raised his head from the couch and continued sleeping indifferent to Chris's anxious voice.

'There you are…I need your help' Chris said watching Brian sleep peacefully at the couch.

The cat ignored Chris's attempts to win his attention and continued sleeping.

'I need you to help me figure out what to do…First I need to confess you something…do you remember Darren? Well…I'm in love with him and yesterday we kissed…'

The cat continued sleeping without caring what Chris was saying and Chris knew it, but he needed to believe that Brian was listening cause he needed someone to talk to. He was desperate and his cat was the only living thing in the house.

'I told him about my feeling and he kissed me…I know that you're thinking that maybe that's good, but it's not. He's dating a girl and there are a lot of things between us to even consider the possibility to be more than friends…whatever…the thing is I don't know what to do…he's coming here to the house to talk about it and I'm scared to death and I need your advice…'

The cat looked at him annoyed by the noise, but clearly not interested in any word of what Chris was saying. Brian just wanted to sleep, but Chris needed someone to talk so he continued

'I was thinking on my way here that maybe it's a good idea if I just deny everything…I think that sounds like a good plan, isn't it? Maybe I can tell him I don't know what he's talking about and just make fun of him…I can pretend none of yesterday events happened…it's a good plan don't you think Brian?'

The cat ignored Chris again. _Really? Okay maybe it's not a good idea…_

'That's what I thought…well…I have more options, I thought that perhaps I can claim to be mentally unstable…I can tell him I'm under some kind of medication for mental illnesses, after all I look kind of crazy right now…don't you think?'

Brian continued ignoring him. _I think I do look kind of crazy! After all I'm asking for advice to a cat that's historically ignoring me…_Chris continued thinking for more options and spoke again.

'You know? Maybe I have one last idea…it's stupid and I'm sure is by far the craziest I've ever had, but I don't know maybe it might work…I was thinking than maybe I can just hug him and cry on his shoulder…I feel so bad right now...I just need someone to talk to…I need him…as my friend…I need him to tell me everything is fine…I don't want to lose him…but I'm not sure if I can be near him without remembering his touch, his lips…his smell…it's a risky option…there's the chance that I might accidentally kiss him again…one last time…'

_Chris! Control yourself! Remember he's straight! He's not gay! Really? Well…maybe he's partially gay…but still he's with Mia and most importantly…Will is right…you're his downfall…_

Chris was snapping his fingers on the table still contemplating and considering his crazy ideas, his mind and heart were on a declared war and he was completely lost. Suddenly someone knocked the door.

_Knock! Knock! Knock! _

Chris stopped breathing and froze; Brian woke up from his nap and ran to the master room; there was a lot of noise on the room for him to continue sleeping there.

_Knock! Knock! Knock!_

Chris glanced to the door. He was speechless and motionless. He looked like an ice sculpture.

_Knock! Knock! Knock!_

'Chris…it's me…please open the door…we need to talk' Darren said. His voice sounded constrained.

_Knock! Knock! Knock!_

Chris came out from his initial shock and hesitantly stood up. He walked fearfully toward the door, his hands and legs were shaking and he was sweating like crazy. _Come on! You can do this! It is just Darren…_

'Chris…please…' Darren said; his voice sounded defeated almost hopeless.

Chris took a deep breath and opened the door. Darren was standing there, still in yesterday's clothes. His eyes were cautious; his smile was simple and polite.

'Hi' he murmured

'Hi' Chris replied in a weak voice.

'Can I come in?'

'Yes…'

'Thank you'

They walked in silence to the kitchen table. The air between them was weird, but not tense, just a bit bizarre. They sat by the table and stared at each others eyes for several minutes. Chris was paralyzed, just a day and a half ago he had lived the same situation: Two guys seated at this same table in complete silence. Face to face. Not knowing what to do or say or how to act. The only difference was that this time there was actually something between them, the atmosphere was strange in a good way. You can tell that feelings were passing between them and hundreds of invisible words were flying around like bees near honey. _This is almost a Déjà vu!_ Chris thought

'Why did you leave?' Darren asked breaking the silence

'I freaked out' Chris replied almost in a whisper

Darren raised and eyebrow and asked 'Why?'

'I don't know' Chris shrugged

'I think you do Chris…was it that bad? Did I do something wrong? Did I hurt you? Did I make you feel uncomfortable?'

'Of course not!' Chris answered a bit stunned 'it was not that…'

'Then what was it?'

'I just freaked out…that's all'

'I freaked out too…I woke up and you weren't there, I thought you were in another part of the house, but you weren't…your car was gone and I was alone with thousands of questions in my head and heart…I called, but you didn't answer me…'

'I'm sorry…'

'Why did you leave?' Darren asked again clearly not pleased with Chris's I-freaked-out answer.

Chris rolled his eyes. _What part of "I freaked out" you don't understand?_ He thought.

'Please Chris…I need to know' Darren pleaded

'What for?' Chris asked intrigued

'I don't know…I just need to'

Chris analyzed the situation for a minute, Ashley's words were echoing on his mind. _Go! Go! You need to talk to him too…you need to tell him how much you love him and all about your fears..._

'I woke up and I was afraid…' Chris answered

'Of me?' Darren asked

Chris sighed 'No, of course not! I was afraid of me actually…' Darren was confused so Chris continued 'I opened my eyes and I felt confused, happy and guilty as hell'

'Guilty?'

'The whole picture was wrong…'

'Why?' Darren asked again

'Don't you see? We cannot be together! I know I told you about my feelings for you and they're true, I'm not gonna deny that I love you, but what we did was wrong! You're with someone and…'

'That's what freaked you out? My girlfriend?'

_Ouch! My girlfriend…_It was still painful to hear it out loud. 'Among other things…'

'What other things?'

'Darren…' Chris said tired. He didn't want to talk about this.

'Chris…' Darren replied exhausted and waiting for an answer

Chris rolled his eyes before speaking. 'I love you okay? I fell in love with you since the day we met at work. I used to fantasize about the two of us together all the time, but then Will happened and I thought my crush for you was over, but apparently it was not. Our renewed friendship was my wake up call, okay? Everything became a complete chaos…when I was with you I was happy and relaxed and…complete and with Will I was…well you know how I was with him. The point is I know you don't feel the same. I know you're in love with Mia and even though she's sometimes a bit irritating and quite disrespectful she's nice and most importantly she's good for you and your career. I know you love her and I know you love me too, but I'm aware it's a different kind of love. What we did yesterday was wonderful for me, for a tiny little moment, I thought it might be real, but then I realized it was the biggest mistake of my life…'

'The biggest mistake of your life?' Darren asked; his voice sounded wounded.

'Yes! I should have never told you about my feelings…'

'Why?' Darren asked confused

'Why? Because it was the most selfish thing I've ever done! I was just thinking about me...Our relationship was fine, but I wasn't thinking clearly, I was confused and then you talked about the whole missing pieces thing and about finding the right person and I lost control…I didn't want to confess you my feelings, okay? But I wasn't really thinking…and I just wanted to prove that what Will had said was a lie…all of this mess is my entire fault and for that I am so sorry'

'What did he say?'

'Nothing!' Chris snapped sobbing

'Chris…please…we're friends…don't do this...speak…I'm confused too. I need to understand'

'He thinks you don't love me…' Chris replied omitting the whole answer

'But I do love you…you know that, don't you? You also felt that yesterday'

'I know you do, but you're not in love with me…'

'Right now I don't know how I feel…I'm confused' Darren confessed

'You don't have to worry Dare…I knew this was impossible since the beginning, you don't need to think too much about this, you're just confused because you care for me but don't worry, I know you're not gay and I never should have told you about my feelings…it was a mistake…'

'Can you please stop with the whole It's-my-fault-I-should-have-never-told-you-a-fucking-word?' Darren exclaimed angry.

Chris looked at him confused. _Is he mad? At me? Why?_

'You don't have a fucking idea of what or how I'm feeling right now…' Darren continued

Chris shut his mouth; the tears were still rolling on his face. He had never heard Darren talk to him like that, he had seen him angry, but never with him and that hurt him deeply.

'I'm sorry Chris' Darren murmured as soon as he saw Chris's face 'I'm confused…I hope you can understand…First I thought I had offended you and then you told me you had freaked out because of Mia and because you were afraid of who knows what, and seeing you like this, feeling all ashamed and crying is killing me! You're the strongest man I know and right now you look so…vulnerable…so weak…and all I want to do is cross this fucking distance between us to hug you and tell you everything is fine but I can't…I'm confused and I need to understand so many things, so many feelings…'

'I understand…' Chris added quietly

'Thanks…'

They both remained silent. Darren needed some time to process everything and Chris was trying hard to read Darren's eyes. _So many feelings? For whom? For me? For her?_

o-o-o-o-o

The room was silent for almost an hour. Chris had stopped crying and Darren was more relaxed. They both were staring at the table until Darren spoke again.

'Do you really think that yesterday was a mistake?'

'Yes'

'Why?'

'I already told you why'

'Don't you liked it? Because I do'

Chris held his breath. _He liked it! Damn!  
_

'Of course I liked it, I told you I love you, but still I think is a mistake…we can't be together'

'Why do you say we cannot be together?'

'You want the shortlist?' Chris asked sarcastically

'Please…'

'First because you don't love me…' Chris pointed out

'I already told you I don't know how I feel! I love you, but…' Darren exclaimed

'Okay…sorry…but still you're not in love with me. Second because you're dating someone' Darren sighed 'and third because it's wrong'

'Okay! I'm dating someone; I understand that part, but why is wrong? why you and me are wrong? That's the part I don't fucking understand!' Darren yelled 'Why do you think is wrong? Wrong for whom? For you? For me? Please, explain me! I'm clueless!'

Chris started sobbing again and answered crying loudly

'It's wrong for the two of us!'

'Why?' Darren asked desperately

'Let's be honest…although you say you don't know how you feel, I know you're not in love with me and I can't stand to be with someone who doesn't love me the way that I do. A relationship is for people who are in love, not for people who are confused or afraid…I don't want to give you my heart if you're just going to play with it, I'm not ready to cry for you…I know it's selfish, but that's how I feel. I need to protect myself from you…I need to hide my heart'

Darren was completely silent. He was staring at Chris with his eyes wide open. He was stunned and wounded.

'I would never dare to play with your heart…I thought you knew me…'

'I know you and I also know that intentionally you're incapable of doing something like that…but you're confused Darren and I am not. I'm sure about what I feel for you and you're clearly not sure about anything right now. If you take a wrong decision about us, I'm going to end up crying all alone and heartbroken. I need to take care of my heart before you can break it'

A single tear appeared in Darren's eyes. He was suffering too. _Oh baby! Please don't cry! Please don't cry…you'll kill me…_

'Now lets pretend you do love me and you choose to be with me…what are you going to do Darren? What are you going to say? What's going to happen with your career? With Mia? With your family? Let's face it! I'm not right for you…'

'How do you know what's right for me?' Darren asked a bit angry

'I'm not an idiot Darren…I know that for your public image and your manager the whole I'm-straight-thing is the main concern. The people around you is always trying to stand out the fact that you're not gay and imagine what would happen if you suddenly came out and tell: hey! Guess what? After all, I think I might be half gay…your whole career is going to come to an end! Every movie, TV show, record contract or collaboration you were meant to do is going to fade away…and it's all going to be my fault! And let's not start talking about how your family could react or Mia…'

'Why do you think that?'

'What?' Chris asked exhausted

'That everything is going to crumble if we're together…'

'Because that's what happens…you're going to lose everything! The people is going to label you as gay and you know that gay means no straight characters, no opportunities, no big hits, no nothing…'

'That's not true…there are thousands of gay actors playing straight guys and thousands of musicians winning Grammy's although they are gay'

'Yeah, but all of those actors and musicians are huge stars…they already traveled the path you're currently on…It would be a huge mistake if you throw everything away for nothing…I'm sure sooner or later you would regret it'

'Don't talk like that…you're not nothing…you worth any price, but you're right in one thing…'

'In what?'

'I'm confused and right now I can't offer you anything…I can't answer all your questions, I don't have a clue what is going to happen with my family, with Mia, with my PR people or with my career, but to be quite honest I don't give a shit about any of that! Right now I just need time…Maybe I'm asking for too much, but I need you to give me time…just some time to understand my own feelings and then, maybe then we can talk about this all over again…I don't care about what you just said. My career is going to be what it was meant to be, no matter who I'm dating or who I choose to love…I know I'm not straight and I'm not gay. I think I love Mia and I love you, but I need to define what true love means for me. Before you talk to me about your feelings I was already confused…I think you already know some parts of that story. What you don't know is that since a couple or so of months ago I was kind of comparing you with her...not in a bad way…but…look…Yesterday when I told you about the missing pieces, I was talking about me...When I told you a few weeks ago that you were my only reason to smile I wasn't lying…that was the truth, is still the truth…Our friendship was a wake up call for me too…I have told you a hundred of times that you're more important for me than you think, but you're right, you deserve to be with someone who loves you completely…with someone who's not confused or afraid…Can you please give me some time? Just to think this over?'

Chris paused before answering. Darren was confused and that was a good thing. His heart was filling up with hope, but his mind was still sure this whole thing was wrong.

'I don't know…I still believe there's no much to think about…'

'Chris please…this is very confusing for me…I really need time…I do have a lot of things to think about…'

'But…'

'Please?' Darren begged

'Okay…' Chris whispered

'Thank you…'

Chris faked a smile and Darren sighed. They both remained silent for another minutes.

o-o-o-o-o

'Chris…can I ask you something?' Darren asked

'What…'

'Do you truly, truly believe that this thing between us can be the biggest mistake of your life?'

Chris hesitated. He wanted to believe it, but his heart was in love with Darren and he was sure that love was never a mistake so he answered:

'No…I mean, I think it can be a mistake, but not the biggest mistake of my life…I just said that because I needed to believe it was true, but it was a lie…I would never think about us as the biggest mistake of my life'

'Good…you also said you didn't want to confess me your feelings…why?'

'Because I made myself a promise after I talked to Will'

'Again…why?'

'Because I care about you and although you're going to think I'm crazy, I know and I'm sure you are better without me…I know that inside you, maybe deep down, you know I can be your downfall…'

'What did Will say exactly?' Darren asked intrigued

'Nothing…he just told me you don't love me…and helped me see that you had so much to lose…that's why I think it's better if we pretend any of this happened…it's not the right thing to do…you cannot be with me…'

'Well, I cannot pretend any of this happened cause I'm sure it happened and although I'm so confused right now, I don't regret any of what happened yesterday…you do?'

_Do I? Of course you don't! Stop pretending Chris! You love this guy and that's the end of the story._

'I don't…but I'm not thrilled by it either…I don't like the idea of me being some kind of lover…you're with someone and yesterday was a mistake…feelings or not feelings...it was cheating'

Darren ignored Chris; he was very deep in thought. Something was crossing his mind.

'Can I ask one last thing?'

Chris nodded

'Can you please promise me you won't let any of this interfere with our friendship? I know all my unresolved feelings are confusing for both of us but…please? Can you do that for me? I really don't want to lose you, you're my best friend…the ying for my yang'

Chris thought for a minute. _You're my ying for my yang too_ 'I don't want to lose you either'

Darren smiled warmly 'You're never going to lose me…I already told you this…I'm always here for you…no matter what'

Chris smiled and a single tear rolled down his face.

* * *

**This is the end of this chapter. Hope you liked it! I promise that what you're waiting for is closer than you think. Thanks for the reviews, favs, and follows. Love you all...**

**Check out chapter 5 in a few more hours... :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello again! Here's chapter 5! I know it's what some of you have been waiting for, so enjoy it! I really hope you like it...****As always I warn you, if you're not a CC shipper please do not bother to read this, I'm sure you're not going to like it ;)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Darren, Chris, or any of the persons mentioned in this story. Also the rights of the song(s) written in this chapter belong to their respective composers and performers. This story is not real it's just a figment of my imagination!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 5**

Some time had passed since Chris's confession. These past few days had been very difficult for both of them, but especially for Chris. His heart and mind were, once again, in a declared war. His heart wanted to believe there was a possibility for them as a couple or still as friends, but his mind was analyzing everything and neither the couple nor the friends path sounded like a possibility. On Sunday morning after thinking about the events of the previous day, Chris took a decision: to forget about him and try to move on with his life. He knew it was going to be hard, cause he was madly in love with him, but it was the right thing to do for everyone, especially for himself. He analyzed every angle of the situation and comforted himself with the idea that maybe after some time he'd be able to be his friend again, but right now he needed to learn to live without him so he began to develop an evil plan: to try to keep him away from him making up silly excuses. It had been a busy week at work so that helped him with the whole I'm-sorry-Dare-I'm-kind-of-busy-right-now-maybe-later plan.

Darren in the other hand was confused. He had been trying desperately to reach Chris, but he was always busy or distant. Everyone at work noticed the sudden change of heart of Chris and they were questioning themselves about the boy's behavior. On Friday (a week after Chris's confession) Ashley was visiting the Glee set and noticed her friend's behavior, at first she was confused, she didn't know what had happened, but she knew Chris would surely have a reason to do it, so at the end of the day she confronted him and asked him about it:

'Why are you doing this?'

'Doing what?' Chris replied surprised

'This' she said pointing out to him

Chris looked at her puzzled

'Don't try to act with me Chris…I know you too well, okay? Why are you doing this?'

'I don't know what you're talking about' Chris said with one eyebrow raised

'Come on Chris! I saw you!'

'I really don't know what you're talking about'

'I saw you flirting all day with Adam…Everyone on set noticed it…Chord even asked me if I knew what was going on with you! And you know what? I couldn't answer! I don't know what the heck is happening…what's wrong with you?'

'Nothing'

'You were flirting! I saw you!'

'I was not…'

'Yes you were…and just so you know I think Darren saw you too'

'I wasn't flirting' Chris replied exhausted

'Then why were you all smiles and little touches and more smiles with Adam?'

'Come on Ash! We're just friends…he's a funny guy! I mean he's cute, but he's just my friend…MY FRIEND!'

'You're hurting him…' Ashley added

'Who?'

'Darren…I saw him…he looked heartbroken. I know you're trying to keep him away from you, I don't know why, but let me tell you this: you're hurting him'

Chris held his breath. He knew Darren was staring at him when he was with Adam and he may have flirted a little, but he didn't want to hurt him he just wanted to make everything easier for both of them.

'I didn't intend to hurt him I love him…you know that'

'Then why are you keeping him away from you?'

'I'm not doing that…it's been a busy week, that's all' Chris answered coyly

'For heavens sake Chris! Don't lie to me! I know you! I'm your friend! I saw how you acted today…the guy tried to talk to you 4 times and you either took out your damn phone or pretend that I was calling you…I'm not blind I know your plan…'

'There's no plan…'

'Of course there is a plan…you're trying to keep him away from you…but why?'

Chris suddenly felt exposed and hopeless.

'Okay! I've been trying to keep him away from me because first I don't think he is in love with me...and second and most importantly because I can't stand the idea of spoiling his future, I'm not that selfish, I can't spoil the future of the man I love!'

'What?' Ashley exclaimed stunned 'Are you still thinking about that?'

'Yes I can't help it…'

'He told you he didn't care…he only asked you for some time…And judging by his looks today I guess he doesn't need any more time…I've told you this before: he's into you!'

'I know he doesn't care! But I do care! And you're wrong he's not into me…and me acting like this is the best way to help him realize he's not in love with me and it's a way to show him that I'm okay with that'

'Okay…it's official, you have lost your mind. Why are you still tied to the idea of him not in love with you? You don't know him that well…I think you don't even know yourself that well…Why Chris? Why you want that so bad? There must be a reason… '

'Because I'm afraid!' Chris snapped

'Argh! You're clearly a lost cause! First you threw away everything just to be with him and now you're afraid he might actually be in love with you? And to top that, you're trying to keep him away from you? Really Chris? I think you need help! Professional help! And just so you know I'm going to kill Will…And I'm being serious. What he said was wrong in all levels! He was mad and jealous and I can't believe that you're taking his words seriously…it's stupid and I thought you were a smart guy! Now I'm seriously questioning your intellect' Ashley yelled in a very angry voice.

Chris was going to answer when Ryan interrupted them. Ashley rolled her eyes and Chris sighed before faking an smile.

'Hey guys! I'm glad you two are still here…Look…we're going to have a little dinner reunion here, it's not a big deal it's just to celebrate the billboard re-entry…I already ordered some food so you two are invited…we're going to leave the piano and microphones on so it's going to be a karaoke late night dinner on set. Are you in?'

'Yeah…sure' Chris answered

'Yeah…count me in' Ashley added too

'Okay…we'll be officially beginning in half an hour so I guess you two have some time to run some errands if you have to...but try not to be late, everybody was invited so it's better if you save your places before the place is full'

'Yeah…thank you Ryan!'

'You're welcome guys…see you in a few…'

'Okay' they both answered

Ryan walked away and Chris took the distraction to slip away to his trailer avoiding Ashley's killing eyes.

o-o-o-o-o

Chris closed the door of his trailer and put on the lock with relief. Now he was safe from Ashley's rage. He took a moment to breath. If there's something Chris couldn't handle was his friend in the I'm-mad-I'm-going-to-kill-you mode on. He was taking out his clothes to get rid of Kurt's attire when somebody knocked the door. Chris immediately thought it was Ashley.

_Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock!_

'Chris it's me…you locked your door…can I come in?' The voice was not Ashley…it was Darren. _Damn! It's him!_

Chris panicked, he didn't want to face Darren either. Right now he was regretting having fled from his angry friend.

'I'll be there in a second…I'm changing clothes' Chris yelled

'Okay, but hurry up! I really need to tell you something! It's important! Hurry up!'

'Okay' Chris yelled back although he had no intention to hurry up.

Chris wasted as much time as he could changing his clothes. When he opened the door Darren was sitting by his trailer, his face was unreadable.

'Finally!' He snapped

'I'm sorry! I received a call…' he said lying

'Today you've received many calls, don't you think? Maybe the next time I'll have to call your manager to schedule an appointment…'

Chris smiled though he was seriously analyzing Darren's voice. There was a hint of bitterness and sadness in it.

'I'm sorry…it's been a busy week. Lot of stuff and work to do' Chris said apologetically

'Yeah right…' Darren answered with disbelief in his voice.

'You wanted to talk to me?' Chris said trying to put aside the tone in Darren's voice.

'Yes I wanted, I have some important things to tell you, but I guess we don't have time…before you came out Ryan passed by and said we better hurry up, apparently he's going to give a welcome speech so I guess that I'll have to wait'

'Okay' Chris said with relief

Darren looked at him with pain in his eyes. Obviously Darren was expecting a different answer and Chris knew it. If the situation had been different Chris would have said: I don't care about the stupid speech, tell me what you wanted to tell me. But Chris didn't want to spend more than 2 minutes alone with Darren, so he was happy to get rid of this uncomfortable moment.

'Let's go!' Chris said 'We don't want to make Ryan wait, right?'

'Right' Darren said, though this time he was not angry. He was actually smiling a little. He had just figured out Chris's plan. He knew him better than he thought. _Why is he smiling?_ Chris thought

o-o-o-o-o

They entered the set and almost everyone was already there. The house was full, everybody was there cast, crew and staff. They had put on some tables around an improvised stage and Ashley was waving at them from the extreme corner.

'Hey! Chris! Darren! I saved some places for you two' she was yelling

The boys walked to the table waving and smiling to everyone near them.

'Thanks Ashley…that's sweet' Darren said once they had approached the table

Chris looked at her and rolled his eyes. She had intentionally left two places at the end of the table. Chris took a place next to Ashley and Darren sat next to him.

'Hello again to everyone…' Ryan said beginning his speech 'it's a real pleasure to have all of you here today. I know we've been through a lot since last year and being able to be here today it's a gift. I'm so grateful for everything I have in my life that tonight it just seemed right to give all of you a little of what you've given me in these past years. I took the silly excuse about our billboard re-entry (though it's been a while) to make this little reunion, but the truth is I just wanted to spend some quality time with all of you. I'm so proud of us as a team and even though this wonderful journey is coming to and end, I am grateful because thanks to this project I had the pleasure of meeting all of you, a group full of the most talented and amazing people ever! I don't want to start with the motivational speech so having said enough…cheers! For the beautiful team! For our billboard re-entry! For being here tonight! For Glee!'

'Cheers' everybody yelled back

o-o-o-o-o

The dinner flowed smoothly, everyone was having so much fun. In Chris's table the conversation was focused on Amber's recent news.

'OMG! That's wonderful…' Adam exclaimed

'I know right? I've been waiting for this opportunity for ages!' Amber replied

'I'm so proud of you' Chris added

'Thank you baby…I'm proud of you too… I've heard your third Land of Stories' book will be out in the fall'

'Yes…' Chris answered smiling broadly

'Give us a sneak peak' Adam added

'Yes! What is going to happen with the twins?' Jenna asked

'I can't reveal anything about it…you all know how this works' Chris said smiling apologetically

'Too bad! I guess we'll have to wait till fall' Adam said smiling

The conversation changed and everyone started muttering things about the copyright policies and that stuff. Darren took advantage of the distraction to whisper to Chris

'Liar! You can reveal some things about the book…you told me the first chapter'

'First' Chris answered with a low voice making sure nobody was listening 'that was completely different…and second you fell asleep in the middle of the story, so it doesn't count, it's like if you hadn't heard a thing…I'm pretty sure you don't remember anything'

'I wasn't sleeping! I was listening with my eyes closed' Darren replied smiling foolishly

'You were asleep….'

'No, I wasn't…well maybe I was, but I dreamed about the story so something stayed in my subconscious…though it's hard to remember cause that dream was weird…it suddenly changed…it was revealing'

Chris tried to keep his face expressionless, but inside he was freaking out. _What if he had heard the other story about the boy and the guy? OMG! _

'Why?' he asked with a cautious tone. His voice sounded more like a whisper.

'I don't know, I remember there was a castle, a dragon…a very tall ogre with a knife and there was also a warrior that looked a lot like you…and me…though I can't remember what was I doing…there was a lot of movement…flashes…and events I can't recall perfectly…'

'Why was it revealing?'

'Cause I think I discovered I think of us as the twins…different yet so alike…'

'What are you two whispering?' Chord interrupted them

'Nothing, I was telling Chris about some reviews that I saw about his previous books' Darren answered quickly

'I've only read positive reviews…' Chord added

'Yeah me too…that's exactly what I was saying him…' Darren continued

'I think it's wonderful that at your young age you've achieved so much success man! You're truly an inspiration for us….'

'Thanks Chord…to be honest sometimes I still find it hard to believe'

'I actually don't, from all of us you were always the smartest guy, so I'm not surprised at all…' Chord said smiling

Chris smiled back and turned away to start talking with Ashley. He didn't like when people started to praise him about his success, it was weird and uncomfortable.

'By the way Dare, I'm sorry about what happened with Mia…' Chord added this time speaking directly to him.

'Thanks buddy I appreciate that' Darren replied with a tiny smile

Chris's eyes opened widely and turned around immediately. Darren was now talking lively with Chord about some places in Nashville and Chris was completely stunned. _What happened with Mia?_ He turned around to see Ashley that was clearly as stunned as he was. She shrugged to point out she did not know the answer. Chris was desperate, he wanted to ask Darren about it, but apparently Chord did not have any intention to finish his story. Some minutes passed before Chord finally stopped talking. Chris breathed deeply and asked in a small voice

'What happened with Mia?'

Darren smiled before answering. 'I broke up with her yesterday'

Chris's jaw dropped. _What!_ Darren continued

'I would have told you earlier, but you were too busy trying to run away from me…so I didn't have the chance' he added sarcastically

Chris looked at Darren's face. He was smiling lively; in fact he was making fun of him.

'Why?' Chris asked confused

'Why, what?' Darren asked back still smiling. He was enjoying the wonder in Chris's face.

'Why did you break up with her?'

Darren rolled his eyes. Chris backed up a little, Darren had never rolled his eyes at him. This was new.

'Sometimes you're not as smart as you appear to be…'

'Your attention please!' Zach spoke out loud using the microphone interrupting this little heart to heart.

'This can't be a real party without some music…why don't we use our own and very talented staff to make some noise! Who's first?'

Lea was at her feet before anyone could react. The music started and everyone began to sing along with her. Chris was quiet; he was deep in thought. Darren was singing happily out loud with Chord._ Why? Why did he break up with her?_

'Are you alright?' Ashley whispered

'No' Chris whispered back 'he broke up with Mia…'

'WHAT?' she yelled clearly surprised

Everyone at the table turned around and looked at her. She smiled cowardly and said apologetically

'Sorry for that! I told Chris if he wanted to dance with me and he said he was a pity dancer…figures!'

Chris smiled nodding trying to confirm the explanation. _Thank heavens she came up with an excuse_. Darren looked quizzically at both of them.

o-o-o-o-o

The party continued and after a very long round of high bit songs the audience began asking for the low bit songs. Everyone at the reunion started yelling Darren's name. He was known as the expert in the slow songs. Everyone at set used to say "Give the man a piano and let him do the job" while referring to his talent.

_Darren! Darren! Darren! Darren! Darren! Darren!_

He smiled and stood up gracefully. Before walking away from the table he whispered something to Chris

'Maybe if you're smart enough, you could pay attention to the lyrics of the first song…and perhaps...you may find the answer to your last question…'

Chris was breathless. _My last question? _He looked back at Darren, but he was already walking toward the piano. Ashley that had seen the whole interaction was hitting him hard on his back demanding an explanation

'What did he tell you?'

'He said I should pay attention to the lyrics…' he whispered without taking his eyes from Darren.

Darren took his place at the piano, smiled and cleared his throat before speaking.

'Hello everyone! What a wonderful night, right? Hope you are all enjoying this lovely evening…Thanks for nominating me to open the round of cheesy romantic songs, I have to admit: I'm flattered' he said laughing loudly

'Shut up and play!' Chord yelled from the table

'Thank you my friend I love you too…After the beautiful performances made by my friends Lea, Amber, Adam and Naya I don't think I can be able to surprise you at all, but I'm going to play a song that's pretty special for me, I like it a lot and I think it's the right song to open the romantic atmosphere…I hope you all like it!'

Before glancing down to the piano Darren looked directly towards Chris, their eyes met a brief moment and the music began. Chris didn't recognize the song at first, but once the lyrics began he was lost.

'What would I do without your smart mouth, drawing me in, and you kicking me out. Got my head spinning, no kidding. I can't pin you down. What's going on in that beautiful mind? I'm on your magical mystery ride and I'm so dizzy, don't know what hit me, but I'll be alright' Darren sang

Chris was shocked and confused. _What does that mean?_ Ashley was astonished. She loved that song and knew perfectly what the song intended to say. Darren was confessing his love for Chris using John Legend's song.

'My head's underwater but I'm breathing fine. You're crazy and I'm out of my mind…Cause all of me, loves all of you. Love your curves and all your edges, all your perfect imperfections. Give your all to me I'll give my all to you. You're my end and my beginning. Even when I lose I'm winning. Cause I give you all of me, and you give me all of you…'

_Cause all of me loves all of you…You're my end and my beginning...Even when I lose I'm winning…_At this point Chris's face was covered in tears. Darren was staring at Chris occasionally and was smiling at him discretely. Nobody noticed anything except Ashley who was aware of the whole situation.

'How many times do I have to tell you even when you're crying you're beautiful too. The world is beating you down; I'm around through every mood. You're my downfall; you're my muse, my worst distraction; my rhythm and blues. I can't stop singing, it's ringing in my head for you…'

_You're my downfall...you're my muse…_Chris was overwhelmed with every feeling. Fortunately everyone at the table was looking at Darren, otherwise everyone would be wondering why Chris was crying like a baby.

'My head's underwater but I'm breathing fine. You're crazy and I'm out of my mind…Cause all of me, loves all of you. Love your curves and all your edges, all your perfect imperfections. Give your all to me I'll give my all to you. You're my end and my beginning. Even when I lose I'm winning. Cause I give you all of me, and you give me all of you…Cards on the table, we're both showing hearts. Risking it all, though it's hard…'

_Cards on the table…we're both showing hearts…Risking it all, though it's hard…_Chris couldn't stop sobbing. This was the most beautiful song ever.

'…Cause all of me, loves all of you. Love your curves and all your edges, all your perfect imperfections. Give your all to me I'll give my all to you. You're my end and my beginning. Even when I lose I'm winning. Cause I give you all of me, and you give me all of you…I give you all of me…and you give me all of you…'

The song came to and end. Everybody stood up and clapped loudly. Chris and Ashley both were crying. Ashley was wiping her tears and clapping excited. Chris was looking at Darren; he was smiling at him discreetly.

'OMG! How beautiful' Ashley whispered

The clapping ceased and immediately everyone around started asking for another song. Lea stood up instantly to sing along with him. Everyone gave another round of applause before the new song started. Chris was not fine, he was over-sensitive due to the song, he couldn't stand to hear him sing another love song, so he stood up and ran away. Ashley looked at him worried, but remained at her place; she knew her friend needed some time alone.

o-o-o-o-o

Chris was crying like a baby in the privacy of his trailer. He was happy and in love and confused at the same time, it was too much to handle, he was not that strong. The song was beautiful, but he still found it hard to believe. _Maybe I'm reading too much into it...It can't be true...he doesn't love me, but the song was so beautiful...Does he love me? _After some minutes of crying, 20 perhaps, the door of his trailer opened. It was Darren. He looked concerned.

'Chris? Hey…hey…don't cry…' he said as soon as he was inside the trailer 'I wanted to make you happy not sad…' he said apologetically and taking a seat next to Chris.

'I'm happy...and confused' Chris answered sobbing

Darren hugged him and started rocking him in his arms. 'Shhhh, Shhhh…please don't cry…it kills me when you cry…'

'I can't help it' Chris answered sobbing

Darren smiled a little 'So I'm guessing you do paid attention to the song…'

'I did…' Chris murmured between tears

'Does that answered your question or do you need me to answer it myself?'

Chris smiled although he was still crying 'No…I got the message…it was beautiful, but I still find it hard to believe...it can't be true...'

'Shhhh what is hard to believe? Every word I sang was true…' Darren said kissing Chris forehead

Chris continued crying, his heart was overwhelmed by the feelings and his mind couldn't stop thinking about the lyrics of the song. It was so accurate, like if it had been made just for them.

'I understand that you're reluctant to believe it and I know we need to talk…I been wanting to talk to you the whole week, even before I broke up with Mia, but you were always busy, yesterday you hung me the phone and today…well I know you were trying to keep me away from you…I'm guessing you didn't mean to do that intentionally, but still I'm going to ask you…do you want me to go?'

'No!' Chris exclaimed 'I'm sorry I'm stupid and….'

'Shhhh it's fine…you're not stupid…I know you better than you think and I kind of guessed your whole plan eventually…'

'You did?'

'Yes…you're not that good at making evil plans…but I have to admit that your intentions to make me jealous of Adam were successful…' Darren said smiling

Chris blushed; he had never planned to make him jealous consciously though he had flirted when he knew Darren was watching.

'I'm not a jealous guy, but today I almost kiss you in front of everyone…You were driving me crazy…for a moment I thought you had forgotten me already, but then I remembered than it has only been a week so…' he said laughing

Chris smiled too. Darren was jealous because he loved him. Chris's heart was melted with love and his mind was blocked. Everything was unbelievable yet so real. _He loves me!_

'You're very quiet…' Darren added

'I'm speechless'

'Is that a good or a bad thing?'

'Good, I think'

'Can I kiss you now?' Darren asked smiling

'If you want to' Chris replied shyly

'I'm dying to do it since I left your house last Saturday' Darren said taking Chris's head between his hands to hold him steady.

Chris closed his eyes and Darren's lips touched his. They both kissed tenderly, with love. Chris's tears were still falling and Darren was wiping them with the back of his hand.

'Don't cry Chris…everything it's fine…I LOVE YOU…I'm sorry it has taken me this long to figure it out'

'I can't help it…my heart is overwhelmed by everything…though these are tears of joy…I love you too…but you already knew that…'

Darren kissed him again. This time the kiss was less tender and more passionate. They both were breathless when they broke apart.

'We need to get back…everyone was wondering why you had left…Ashley said you needed to make some calls and I volunteered to get you back…'

'I can't go back looking like this! I look awful! I'm puffed and red and…'

'You look beautiful…you are beautiful…' Darren said smiling

Chris smiled back.

'Go splash your face and we can go back to the dinner…' Darren suggested

'But we need to talk'

'I agree, but if you want, we can talk later…in a more private place'

'Okay…'

Chris stood up and walked toward the little sink at the end of the trailer. He was still confused and couldn't help but think. He was washing his hands when something came into his mind.

'Darren…'

'Yes?'

'Does this means we are kind of…a thing?'

Darren rolled his eyes at him for the second time in the day. Chris looked at him puzzled.

'Really Chris, sometimes you're not as smart as I thought'

'Is that a yes?'

'That song was "me" asking "you" to be with me…I guess Darren's style is not as clear as I thought it would be…maybe you need more of Blaine's style so…Christopher Paul Colfer, my amazing friend, my one true love, will you be my boyfriend?'

Chris smiled broadly, his heart was beating faster than ever. He lunged himself toward Darren and before kissing him replied briefly. 'Yes'

o-o-o-o-o

They returned to the reunion and nobody noticed their arrival except for Ashley who was looking at them suspiciously. Chord was telling a funny story so nobody was paying them special attention. Darren very discretely took Chris's hand under the table. Chris's heart skipped a beat, but started stroking Darren's hand tenderly.

'Hey buddy! I didn't have the chance after you finished singing…your first song was amazing! beautiful rendition of John Legend's song! I loved it!' Chord added

'Thanks man! It's a damn good song don't you think?' he said squeezing Chris's hand tightly

'Beautiful indeed…for a moment I thought you were actually singing that to someone…'

Darren just smiled and made a tender movement under the table to allow Chris knew it was meant for him.

'Yeah! it was very moving…' Amber said

'Totally…I even cried a little…' Jenna affirmed

'Yeah me too…though it's sad cause it's a beautiful love song and I couldn't help but think about your ex-girl…It's sad what happened with her…you two were cute together…' Amber said

'Shhhh there's no need to talk about that now…' Chord said

'It's okay Chord, it doesn't hurt…I think we were not meant to be together…'

'Why?' Jenna asked curious

'I wasn't happy with her anymore and I'm sure deep inside she wasn't either…our relationship was alive due to the familiarity, but not because of love…'

'That's the problem with every long term relationship…the routine is the death of love' Adam added

'No it's not…' Jenna replied

'I think it can be a problem in some relationships, but it's not the problem in THE relationship…when you find the one, everything's perfect…there's no routine or habit…just love' Chord said

'Preach!' Amber added

'Amen man!' Darren said squeezing Chris's hand tightly

'To THE relationship' Jenna said raising her drink

'To THE relationship' everyone replied toasting with her.

Throughout the whole mini-conversation Chris had remained silent. He was thinking hard about everything. Ashley was silent too because she was focusing her attention on the two guys sitting beside her.

'Are you alright?' Darren asked Chris when everyone was distracted

'Yeah' Chris replied

'You're very quiet…'

'I'm thinking'

'About…'

'Yeah, about what?' Ashley interrupted both

Chris blushed. She had heard the small interaction. For a moment Chris almost forgot that he had told Ashley about the song.

'About you actually…'Chris replied to Ashley

'What about me?'

'Well…' he said whispering and looking around to see nobody else was listening 'I need to ask you a favor'

'A favor?'

'Yes…' he said

'What?'

'I kind of changed my plans for tonight…and well…I can't take you home as I promised'

'Ahhh that!' she replied

'Yeah that…'

'I figured something like that would happen after the performance' she said smirking at Darren

Darren blushed but remained silent.

'I guess I can ask Amber for a ride' Ashley added

'Nonsense you can take my car' Chris said

'And what about you?' Ashley asked

'I have a different transportation' Chris said smiling at Darren

'Are you sure?' she asked

'Completely! You can take my car…' he said lending her the keys

'Okay…but you two owe me an explanation…for you' she said pointing at Chris 'I'm your best friend…and for you' she said pointing at Darren 'I'm the best friend of your whatever you two are…so I hope you take that into account and invite me to lunch to tell me the whole story…with fucking details'

They both laughed and nodded in agreement.

o-o-o-o-o

The dinner came to an end and everyone started saying goodbye. At the table were only Ashley, Darren, Chris, Chord and Adam remaining, everybody else had already left.

'I think I'm out for tonight' Ashley said

'Yeah…let's go' Chris said lying. Everyone knew they both would go home together.

'I think I'll go too…wait for me guys' Darren added sounding casually.

Everyone at the table began to say goodbye and soon Darren, Chris and Ashley were walking toward the parking lot when Adam approached Chris:

'Hey! Chris! Wait!'

They all stopped and Chris allowed Ashley and Darren to continue without him.

'See you at the parking lot Ash…Bye Darren…' he lied

'Bye guys!' Adam added

Ashley and Darren walked away slowly. They both were intrigued, especially Darren.

'Sorry about this…but I was wondering…we're good friends and well today after hearing the guys talk about THE relationship I wondered why we haven't tried going out together?'

Chris froze. _Damn! Maybe I do flirted a lot with him!_

'Wait! You want us to go out together on a date?'

'Yes…why not? I mean we're friends and we like each other as friends maybe something can come out from this, don't you think?'

'Oh Adam…I'm sorry…I like you I really do, but only as my friend. I can't see you as something else I'm sorry'

'Why?'

'I'm in love with someone else'

'Your ex?'

'No…'

'Oh!' Adam exclaimed shocked

'I'm sorry Adam'

'Don't be…I thought it would be nice to at least try it, I like you, we're good friends and I just thought that maybe we could try it and see if it worked, but if you're in love with someone else there's no much I can do…I'm happy for you though'

Chris smiled. 'Thanks'

'Okay…so forget about what I just said, okay? Let's continue being friends'

'No problem this never happened, friends as always'

'Thank you! Bye Chris…and I'm sorry'

'Don't need to be…bye Adam'

'Have a wonderful weekend'

'You too…bye'

o-o-o-o-o

Chris breathed deeply and walked toward the parking lot. Ashley was waiting next to Darren both of them were silent.

'What does he wanted?' Ashley asked

'Nothing, just wanted to say goodbye' Chris lied

'To say goodbye? He said goodbye at the table'

'Yeah but he wanted to do it in private'

'In private?' Ashley implied again and Chris really wanted to kill her this time

_Damn Ash! You and your stupid curiosity! Can you please just shut up!_

'Yeah in private…I think is time for you to go Ash…'

'Okay, okay…I'll go, but I'll be waiting for your call…you two have fun!'

'Yeah whatever…just go' Chris said a little upset

Ashley opened Chris's car and left the parking lot. Once Ashley was gone Chris looked at Darren. He had remained silent since Chris had come back.

'Are you okay?'

'No' Darren said whispering and not looking directly at Chris's eyes

'What's wrong?'

'This…you lied'

'Come again?'

'Right now…you lied' Darren said

Chris looked puzzled and worried. _I lied? When?_

'He didn't want to say goodbye privately, wasn't he?' Darren asked

Chris understood everything and felt relief. Darren was just jealous. _OMG! I can't believe this is happening! This is so sweet!_ _He's jealous!_

'You're jealous!'

'Of course I am…I told you I'm not a jealous man, but I watched you the whole fucking day flirting with him and then he want to say goodbye privately! Really Chris?'

'Aww this is so sweet'

'I'm not joking Chris…I really don't like this…I know it took me some time to tell you the truth, but I don't like sharing, you know? If you want to try something different with him and you don't want to be with me just say it please'

'Shhhh calm down! Okay, I get you're really upset and I understand the situation although there's nothing to worry about…I told you I'm in love with you and that's the end of the story…perhaps today I made some mistakes and I'm ashamed of them. I confess I did flirt a little with Adam, but it was just to help you see I was okay with you not being in love with me…I regret that okay? I know now that doing that was a mistake, but I also need to confess that it feels really good to see you jealous…it makes me feel wanted and loved and of that I'm not ashamed nor regret it'

Darren smiled a little. Though he was not happy yet.

'What can I do to make you realize I'm in love with you?' Chris asked

'Kiss me'

Chris smiled, looked around to ensure no one was watching them and kissed him passionately.

'Better?' Chris asked after the kiss

'A little…I think I need another one of those to feel better'

Chris smiled and kissed him again. Darren smiled and embraced Chris tightly without caring who might see them.

'Better?'

'Much' Darren answered smiling 'I'm sorry I acted like a total asshole in our first day'

'No you don't, in fact I think it was lovely'

Darren rolled his eyes again. Chris smiled and added:

'You know? I've always hated when people rolled eyes at me, but today you did it several times and shockingly I kind of liked it…'

'I like to roll my eyes at you when you're being irritating'

'Am I irritating?'

'Sometimes' Darren answered shrugging

'Maybe you're right sometimes I over-analyze things and sometimes I think too much…there are times when I act stupid and sometimes assume things before knowing…so I guess you're right I am a bit irritating'

Darren was nodding and then added 'Yeah I think you do all of those things often, but those are just some of the things I love about you…'

'What else do you love about me?' Chris asked intrigued and smiling happily

'Let's go to my place and I'll give you the list'

'There's a list?'

'A long one…' Darren said smiling

Chris smiled and climbed into Darren's car. They drove together toward Darren's house, there was a lot they needed to talk about, but Chris was extremely happy, he was finally with the man he loved and they were on their way to their very first date as boyfriends.

* * *

**This is the end of this chapter. Hope you liked it! I think is kind of cute and romantic. I personally love John Legend's song since he performed it live at the Grammys :) I think the lyrics suit the story accurately. Thanks for the reviews, favs and follows, you're lifting my spirit so high! Love you all... **


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello again, I'm back with a new chapter. Hope you like it, contains a bit of "adult material" so I had to change the rating of the story to (M). Thanks again for the reviews and for reading this story...XOXOXO  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Darren, Chris, or any of the persons mentioned in this story.**

* * *

**CHAPTER 6**

Chris was waiting for Ashley to come to his house to have lunch with him. She had been calling all weekend to ask Chris about what had happened with Darren since Friday night, he had ignored all her calls until this morning when Darren and he had made plans for the day.

o-o-o-o-o

Early this morning…

'What's the plan for today?'

'You can go with me to the motley's meeting if you want'

'I don't think so Dare…it's going to be strange that your "friend" is there with you…'

'I know, but I promised to spend the whole weekend with you…and you're not just my "friend"'

'I know, but they don't, so don't worry…nothing is going to happen if you go out for a few hours. Maybe I can invite Ashley to lunch, she has been calling since Friday night…'

'Okay…and I can reach you two here or wherever you go for lunch'

'I like that'

'And at night we can go to the movies…we can see the movie you were talking about last week'

'Really?'

'Yep…'

'Yes! I'd love to…'

'Then it's set…'

'It's going to be our first movie night as a couple…'

'Mmmm…imagine the advantages of that…if the movie gets boring we can use our time doing something more interesting...and naughty'

'Darren!' Chris exclaimed blushing. He knew what "interesting" and "naughty" really meant

'What? Don't tell me you've never done naughty stuff in the middle of a boring movie?'

'Well...Yes, kisses, but certainly not what you have in mind...'

Darren laughed and hugged Chris tenderly.

'I love when your cheeks turn red…you look so lovely and innocent…'

'You make me blush with your ideas, so behave yourself sir!'

'I'll behave, but one day we'll have to try it!'

Chris rolled his eyes and buried his face under Darren's neck to hide his blushing.

o-o-o-o-o

Chris was still daydreaming when Ashley knocked the door.

_Knock! Knock! Knock!_

Chris opened the door immediately

'Wow! This is what I call a very quick response…where's Darren?'

'Hello Ash, how are you? I'm fine, thanks for asking...' Chris added sarcastically

'Hello...I'm glad to hear you're fine...Where's Darren?'

'He's not here...he had to attend a last minute meeting'

'Meeting?'

'Yes with the Motley's team, apparently they had a last minute meeting today…'

'Mmm that's a shame, I guess I'll have to reluctantly accept your version of the story…'

'Yes, you'll have to do that…and please promise me you'll not harass him, I promise I'll tell you everything!'

She laughed loudly 'okay…but I can't make that promise, at least not yet…I need to hear your story and if I don't like it, then I'm sorry, but I'll have to ask him…'

Chris rolled his eyes.

'Sorry baby, but I know you'

Chris ignored her and took a seat at the couch. Ashley followed him and made herself comfortable.

'I already told you…I'll try to tell you everything that I can'

'Oh no! You're going to tell me everything! Even if you cannot'

'Ashley!'

'EVERYTHING or I'm going to harass Darren until my final day'

'Okay I'll try'

'Start talking'

'Patience my friend, is a virtue...'

'Yeah, tell that to someone who doesn't have a friend like you! Do you have any idea how it was for me yesterday? You ignored all my calls and messages!'

'I was busy'

'Obviously and that's why I'm here…I need to know what happened after Friday dinner! With fucking details…don't you dare to omit something!'

'Okay…for starters Darren and I…well…we're a couple now!' Chris said smiling

'OMG! I knew it! That John Legend's song was his love confession wasn't it?'

'Yes it was…'

'Beautiful! What happened when he went to get you back? Where were you?'

'I was at my trailer…he came in and well…we kissed and he asked me to be his boyfriend'

'OMG! I knew you two were different when you came back…what happened after you two left?'

'We went to Darren's house, he had a surprise for me there'

'A surprise…?'

'A beautiful one…but I'll tell you about it later…Let me start…'

'Okay'

Ashley clapped anxiously and Chris smiled broadly while remembering every single detail.

o-o-o-o-o

Friday night…

'Where are we going?' Chris asked

'To a dinner date at my place?' Darren answered smiling broadly

'Dinner? We just ate'

'No we didn't, that was not a proper dinner. It was just a pre-dinner'

'pre-dinner?'

'Yes...and now we're going to have a proper dinner with real food, not just snacks'

Chris thought for a minute, he was worried about the meaning of "real food" in Darren's vocabulary

'Are you sure you have food…real food in your refrigerator? for humans?' Chris asked

Darren laughed 'I'm sure'

'Okay, I don't want to eat a diabetes combo'

Darren laughed again 'Don't worry! I know your tastes better than you think'

'And I know yours, that's why I'm worried'

Darren smiled and kissed Chris's hand tenderly.

'Eyes on the road mister!' Chris teased

'Aye! Aye! Captain'

o-o-o-o-o

They arrived at Darren's house almost at midnight. Chris came out from Darren's car and followed him to the inside.

'Wait here' Darren said stopping Chris at the door

'Why?' Chris asked confused

'Just wait and close your eyes…'

'Why?'

'Shhhh just do it…'

'Okay' Chris said closing his eyes

Darren hurried up and entered the house. He took some candles out and set the table. He walked to the entrance to guide Chris to the inside.

'Are you ready?'

'Mmmm If I knew for what I need to be ready, then maybe…'

'It's a surprise…'

'For me?'

'Of course…now follow my voice and don't you dare to open your eyes!' Darren said, the excitement was evident in his voice

'Okay…' Chris said and started following Darren into the house.

Everything was in complete silence. Chris could only hear his own heartbeat.

'Just wait a little longer…this is completely from scratch so don't make fun of me, okay?'

'Okay, but you know me! I'm an impatient man please…can I open my eyes?'

'Not yet…'

Chris smiled. He hated the surprises, but Darren's voice sounded so excited that he also began to feel excited. The house was in complete silence, just some noises could be heard, some packages being opened, some "shit's" and "fuck's" from Darren, and a smooth melody. Chris fought the urge to open his eyes.

'Chris…my love…I know this past week must have been a nightmare for you, but I want you to forget everything about it and just focus on our lives together…'

Darren embraced Chris from behind and started talking in his ear. Chris froze. _Our lives together!_

'You know I'm not perfect and sometimes I make mistakes, but that's who I am and, like I said with the song, I want to give you all of me…now I can say you with all my confidence that I LOVE YOU! I'm in love with you…you're everything I've always wanted and I can't figure out my life without you in it…Our paths crossed 4 years ago and now it's time we start walking it together. I'm not very good at this, but I want to make sure you know how much I love you and how much I want to be with you forever. Before I let you open your eyes, let me warn you something, I don't care about what you said last Saturday at your place. I don't care about ANYTHING but YOU. You're my career, you're my future, you're my opportunity...everything else I can receive in life will be a bonus…Today when our friends were talking about THE relationship I was only thinking about you and how accurate those words sounded and echoed in my heart…you're THE one, you're my other half, you're my missing pieces…my everything'

Chris was crying with his eyes still closed. Darren's words were beautiful and he couldn't help but cry.

'Now you can open those beautiful blue eyes…' Darren whispered

Chris opened his eyes to discover that Darren's house had been transformed. The whole living room was covered with white candles. By the nearest table there was a bottle of wine with two glasses. The dining table was set for two; in the middle there was a pizza and some other bowls with salads. The music was coming from a tiny stereo near the TV and all the lights were off.

'OMG Darren this is beautiful…thank you'

'Anything for you…though the dinner can change…I can cook something more healthy…'

'No…pizza is perfect'

'Cold pizza'

'Cold pizza is perfect…thank you' Chris said kissing Darren's neck

Darren took the glasses of wine and gave one to Chris.

'For you…' he said lifting his glass

'For us…' Chris replied

o-o-o-o-o

'OMFG! He made a whole dinner set from scratch?' Ashley asked excited

'Yes! It was very romantic'

'I'm so glad for you! But go on! What happened next?'

Chris smiled broadly. Everything was so fresh and vivid that he could actually feel everything again.

o-o-o-o-o

Friday night….

'When did you buy all this candles?'

'Yesterday…after I broke up with Mia I went right to buy all of this and some other stuff. Then I called you, I was hoping you could come, but you hung me up the phone…'

'I'm sorry I didn't know'

'Don't worry, I deserved that for keeping you waiting'

'No you don't…I made a mistake...I thought it was the best for you…'

'What was the best for me?'

'Not being with me…'

'Why?'

'Well, first because I thought you were just confused because we were friends and I was sure you did not love me, and second because I was still thinking about what Will had said…'

Darren looked at him puzzled

'I didn't tell you everything, but the day we talked he asked me who I was in love with, and I told him it was you, and he said that I was going to be your downfall, he also said that you weren't going to risk everything just to be with me and well…at some point I thought he was right, we were a mistake so I made a plan and that's why I acted distant the whole week...I wanted to forget you because I couldn't stand the idea of spoiling your future...'

'Silly beautiful boy…I already told you! YOU ARE MY FUTURE nothing else matters unless you're there with me…I don't want to hear you're afraid of my future or anything, I don't care what people may say or if I lose credibility or whatever, I just care to be with you even if that means to throw everything else into the fucking trash…I don't want to hear you're worried about that again...do you understand?'

'Yes…'

'I love you…'

'I love you too…'

o-o-o-o-o

'I told you he wouldn't care about what Will had said'

'I know! You were right!'

'I'm always right…you should pay me for every time I tell you something and turns out to be true…'

o-o-o-o-o

Friday night…

They finished dinner and moved to the couch. Chris sat in Darren's lap and buried his head on his neck while Darren embraced him tightly.

'Now I want to tell you what happened with Mia…'

'I don't care…you're here with me now and that's all that matters'

'You don't want to know what she said?'

'No…Do I need to know?'

'I don't think so…there's no much to report…though…'

'Then I don't care…you're with me now and that's all I want to know…'

'I love you' Darren said smiling

'No more than I do…'

'I sincerely doubt that'

Chris smiled and kissed Darren's neck. Darren felt shivers all over his body. Chris felt Darren's body reaction and whispered into his ear.

'I make you feel nervous'

'Of course you do! You're sitting on my lap, your body is close to mine and you're kissing me like that…What do you expect me to feel? I told you that I love you and that means I love you completely, inside and out…and you're a very smart and attractive man, so behave yourself and don't tease with my self-control…'

Chris smiled broadly. He had a new plan: to make Darren lose control.

o-o-o-o-o

'And that's all…we fell asleep right after that' Chris said blushing

'Oh no! No! No! No! Of course you don't fell asleep! You two had sex and I'm sure of that! You're blushing and you're acting weird so that only means one thing: YOU TWO HAD SEX. Very good sex if I judge by your smile, so don't make me log into Tumblr or fan-fiction to read some sassy and naughty stuff about you two'

Chris laughed hard although he was still blushing.

'I can't tell you everything…that's too private even for a best friend'

'I know that! But you can give me a general review…how was it? Is he good?…'

'Ashley!' Chris exclaimed blushing

'Relax my friend that's a normal question…I'm not going to ask you if his package is proportional to his size, thought that doesn't seems like a possibility, if you know what I mean...'

'ASHLEY!' Chris yelled again; His face was red as the communist manifesto.

'Sorry baby, but it's true and you're going to deal with that from now on…girls and boys will want what's yours. I guess that's one of the drawbacks that he can play for both teams…you need to worry about everyone'

'ASHLEY!'

'I'm just speaking the truth…but go on…give me the sexy review…and don't hold back anything! I can handle the gay porn'

Chris rolled his eyes and buried his head in his hands, he was feeling exposed and couldn't help but remember every single detail. His mind traveled back to Friday night.

o-o-o-o-o

Friday Night…

Chris was still kissing Darren's neck. Darren was mumbling silly words, he was overwhelmed by Chris's touch.

'I know you're quite talented with that mouth but…' Darren said, but Chris wasn't listening he had just bite Darren's ear lobe making him moan 'Ahhh' Darren scream while Chris smiled triumphantly 'You're driving me crazy Chris' Darren added

'I want to drive you crazy…' Chris said with a sexy tone on his voice and continued kissing him.

He started a pattern: kissing him near the lips, breathing near his ears, blowing cool air after some wet kisses and generally using his hands to touch every single part of his body. He wanted Darren to lose control and he was succeeding.

'Please stop Chris I'm losing my mind…you need to stop before I…'

Chris kissed him again and blew into his ear. Darren shivered and took Chris by the hips.

'OMG! Chris…' Darren said pulling Chris aggressively on the couch. Chris's heart skipped a beat and he stopped breathing as soon as Darren's lips found his.

Darren's body was over him, Chris could feel their bodies reacting to the moment. They both were excited and getting more aroused with all the touching.

'You're sooooo beautiful…I want to learn and memorize every single part of you…' Darren murmured

'Go on…I'm an open book for you to learn…' Chris said teasing Darren

Darren rolled his eyes and start kissing him again. The friction between their bodies was making them both feel very excited.

'Feeling your body reacting like this is so…hot….' Darren said

'I love you' Chris replied

'I love you more…'

Darren was kissing him fiercely, but cautious. Chris knew he was trying to control himself, but Chris wanted him to lose control, he wanted to be with him.

'Don't hold back Dare…I want to be with you' Chris spoke out loud

'I want that too…more than you can imagine…but I'm new at this…I know the basics, but I don't have actual experience with guys…I don't know how to do it…you'll have to teach me…'

Chris nodded and felt his blood rushing throughout his body. He started pulling Darren's shirt off and Darren started removing Chris's jacket.

'Let's go to your room, okay?' Chris said

'Okay' Darren answered breathlessly and carrying out Chris from the couch.

Chris smiled and put his hands around Darren's neck and continued kissing him. Darren placed Chris on the bed and removed his shoes in a quick move while Chris was unbuttoning his own shirt.

'I don't want you to think I had this planned, but I bought some protection and some lube yesterday…I knew this was a matter of time and…well I told you I know the basics so…' Darren said nervously

'Shhhh relax it's fine! I'm glad to hear that, otherwise I'm sure I could not walk tomorrow…'

Darren blushed and felt excited at the same time. He had pictured himself inside Chris and that excited him.

'Come over here' Chris encouraged him from the bed 'you're still overdressed'

Darren came near Chris without hesitating and Chris started unbuttoning Darren's jeans. He was fast and skilled.

'You're fast' Darren suggested

Chris smiled and said 'Well I have a bit of practice with the layers of Kurt's clothing…'

Darren smiled and closed his eyes enjoying the sensation of Chris undressing him. Without any warning, Chris pulled down Darren's jeans and boxers, freeing his erection and leaving him fully naked.

'Now you're overdressed' Darren told Chris who was still wearing his pants

'Go on…help me undress'

Darren's hazel eyes darkened while he lay down on Chris. He started kissing him all the way from his jaw to his happy trail. Chris was moaning; the sensation of Darren's wet mouth all over his body was flooding his senses.

'Your skin is beautiful…' Darren murmured

'Ahhh' Chris moaned

'You're so beautiful…' Darren said while he was undoing Chris's zipper 'I want to worship every part of you…'

'Ahhh' Chris moaned again

'Starting here…' Darren said kissing Chris's lips. 'And ending here…' He said caressing Chris's erection above his jeans

'Darren please…'

'What baby? Do you want me to hurry?' Darren asked teasing and torturing Chris

'Yes! Please!' Chris screamed moaning. His body was craving for some kind of release

'Okay I'll hurry…' he said removing Chris's jeans and underwear with one single movement.

Chris sprang free and Darren's eyes widened. Darren started kissing Chris's navel and took Chris's cock with his firm hands and began a sweet pumping rhythm.

'Darren please…'

'Please what…?'

'Fuck me!' Chris yelled

'Oh no baby…I want to love you while we fuck…not just fuck you'

Chris smiled and a different sensation filled his heart. He felt loved, wanted and cherished at the same time.

Darren continued kissing Chris's body and pumping his cock for several minutes. Every kiss and every touch were making Chris felt more aroused. He was near the climax.

'Dare…stop…please stop…I don't think I can hold it any longer…I don't wanna come…not now…I wanna come with you inside me…prepare me please!'

'Okay…but you'll need to tell me how'

'Take the lube…' Chris said, his voice sounded anxious and needy.

Darren obeyed and took the lube and a condom from the nightstand.

'Now use your fingers to expand me…it's easy…one at a time and I'll let you know when I can handle you inside me…'

Darren put some lube on his hand and started caressing Chris's back. He was kissing him in strategic places to make him shiver.

'Please Darren…' Chris exclaimed almost pleading

'Hush baby…I want to remember this moment forever…don't spoil it…enjoy it…'

Chris closed his eyes and obeyed Darren. After all, he wanted to remember the moment forever too. Darren leaned down Chris's body to have better access to his ass and introduced one finger carefully. It was tight, very tight and the sensation was arousing. Chris was groaning loudly.

'Move it…' Chris said breathless

Darren obeyed and felt Chris's body reacting to his touch: he was expanding. Darren got the idea quickly and introduced another finger. Chris moaned in response.

'There…there…oh god! It feels so good'

Darren smiled and introduced a third finger, moving them up and down. Chris's back was arching with pleasure.

'You like this, don't you beautiful?' Darren asked

'Ahhh' Chris screamed

'You're so beautiful…'

'Ahhh'

'More?'

'No! You! I want you! I'm ready!'

Darren didn't hesitate; he took the foil package and ripped it off. He positioned himself and with careful caresses put his cock on the entrance of Chris's ass.

'Ready?' He asked. His voiced sounded excited

'I am! Go on!' Chris yelled pleading

Darren slowly introduced his cock on Chris's ass. The sensation was beyond arousing, Chris was beautifully tight.

'Move please!' Chris pleaded

Darren started to move slowly, savoring every new sensation. Chris was screaming with pleasure.

'More?' Darren asked

'Yes!'

This time Darren didn't stop and began a torturous, but pleasing rhythm. He began to ease himself in and out of Chris's ass. Chris started moving his hips to tentatively increase the rhythm. Darren speeded up and Chris moan loudly. Their bodies were connected in body and soul. This was by far, the most magical time they had ever lived and that overwhelmed both.

'I love you' Darren whispered breathlessly

'I love you too' Chris replied

Darren shifted slightly and Chris screamed loudly. He had hit Chris's prostate

'OMG! DARREN! THERE! THERE! Ahhh'

Darren kept up the rhythm and felt something building inside him. He was close, very close.

'Chris! I'm coming…are you close too?'

But Darren could not hear the answer. As soon as Darren had said those words Chris had came hard. He was shivering and mumbling Darren's name. Darren came too and collapsed over Chris's back.

They both stayed motionless. Darren was still panting and trying to slow his breath. Chris's heart was thumping like a horse; his thoughts were lost in the moment.

'Are you okay?' Darren asked after a while

Chris grinned widely. 'Yes…you?'

'I'm more than okay….'

'I love you Dare…'

'I love you too'

Darren smiled and started kissing Chris. He was so in love with the boy that he suddenly felt overwhelmed. A tear escaped from his eye.

'What I feel for you is something I didn't know I could feel…I love you so much…I guess I've always loved you…I just didn't know what love was until you confessed me your feelings…that day, I felt my whole world turning upside down and I felt lost. I knew the answer, but I was afraid, the immensity of what I felt when I heard you saying those words clouded my judgment and that's why I kissed you…I needed to give some meaning to what I was feeling and then you told me, you needed to hide your heart from me before I could break it and I understood you were what I needed, but I had to resolved my life and feelings first…what we just did has been the most wonderful experience of my whole life…I can't put into words what I feel for you, the most simple and accurate words I find are the silly's I love you, though they don't even begin to describe what I feel for you…'

Chris smiled broadly and kissed away Darren's tears.

'I love you with all my heart and I feel blessed because I'm with you…Thank you for being honest with me…thank you for giving me your heart and soul. This overwhelms me. I thought it was impossible to love like this and then you happened…I can't describe what I feel for you in words either…you're my world, my prince, my everything…I love you…'

'I love you too…'

Their eyes, hazel and blue, were covered with tears. They were completely naked in body and soul.

o-o-o-o-o

'Knock! Knock! Knock! Earth to Chris! I'm still waiting the sexy review! What happened?'

Chris suddenly came back to reality. He had been daydreaming. _Oh my!_

'It was amazing…like nothing I had experienced before…we had something that was much deeper than a mere physical connection…'

'Like a souls connection or something'

'Exactly…like if our bodies were doing what our souls were feeling…it was perfect…he's amazing in every way'

'Is he good?'

'Ashley!' Chris yelled completely blushed

'What? It's just a question…'

'Yes...' Chris answered ashamed

'Baby you don't have to be ashamed...it's okay to enjoy sex with your boyfriend...that's natural…'

'I love him'

'I know and I'm soooo happy for you…'

'I still think this whole thing is a dream…'

'Why?'

'I don't know, it's hard to believe in happiness, I feel like somehow I don't deserve to be this happy'

'You deserve to be happy and believe me this is real…that smile on your face is the biggest proof'

Chris smiled broadly._  
_

'But tell me what happened yesterday? you spent the whole day together…'

Chris smiled again

'Yes…it was wonderful, we talked about what we were going to do and that stuff'

'Tell me'

Chris breathed deeply and smiled while remembering last day events

o-o-o-o-o

Saturday morning…

Chris woke up and felt an instant happiness. He was at Darren's bed with Darren at his side sleeping like a baby. _Am I dreaming? Is this real? Of course is real!_ He stayed motionless contemplating Darren's peaceful and beautiful sleeping face.

'I love you' he murmured

Darren twisted a little and wrapped his arms around Chris's body. Chris smiled and started caressing Darren's curls. After a while Darren opened one eye and whispered sleepy

'Good morning beautiful'

'Good morning Dare'

'I love you'

'I love you too…'

Chris kissed Darren's forehead and Darren kissed Chris's chest. Chris held his breath, they were still naked and that made him feel excited. _Oh my! I need this man again! _

'We need to take a shower…what about sharing the bath?' Chris suggested with a hint of sexiness in his voice.

'Great idea…'

o-o-o-o-o

They showered together and washed their bodies with tender kisses. The water was hot, but the air between them was hotter.

'I love you' Darren said

'I love you too…and I want you here…now'

'Chris…' Darren said gasping in surprise

Chris had suddenly dropped to his knees and was stroking Darren's now excited, cock.

'Ahhh Chris…that feels good'

Chris continued sucking Darren's cock. Darren was motionless just savoring the sensation. The water was flowing between them.

'You drive me crazy…'

'No! You drive me crazy!' Chris replied and squeezed Darren's cock harder making him moan.

'Ahhhhhhh'

Darren started moving in and out from Chris's mouth. The sight of his beautiful man kneeling in front of him with his cock on his mouth was breathtaking. He was enthralled with the beauty, sexiness and innocence of this man.

'Chris I'm going to come…move!' He said but Chris kept doing his job. Darren's body shivered and he let go.

Chris swallowed quickly and looked at Darren. His eyes were a deep dark blue. Darren smiled and helped Chris to stand up and kissed him deeply. They stayed embracing and kissing each other under the water for a very long time until Darren broke the silence.

'I'm hungry' He said

Chris laughed loudly. 'That's the most romantic thing anyone has ever told me after a blowjob'

Darren smiled and kissed him again.

o-o-o-o-o

'Okay I get it! Today you're in the moon, I mean it's normal, you're in love, but you can't leave me here in silence while you remember who knows what…'

'Sorry…you're right, today I'm a little distracted…what was I saying?'

'…You were telling me about what you two talked…'

'Oh yeah! Well we had breakfast at his house and then I told him I needed to get back to my house to feed Brian and we came here and talked'

o-o-o-o-o

Saturday around noon…

'Thanks for coming here with me…'

'No problem I told you I wanted to spend the whole weekend with you…'

Chris smiled and turned around to feed his cat. Suddenly something came into his mind.

'Darren?'

'Yes beautiful?'

'What are we going to do?'

'We can watch a movie or we can go out for lunch…whatever you want'

'Not about today…about us…'

'What do you mean?'

'We can't come out as public just like that'

'Why not?' Darren asked, his eyes were puzzled

Chris sat at Darren's lap and said

'First because you just broke up with your girlfriend…and second because if I can recall well, you once told me about your contract and I don't think you can skip all the clauses just like that…you'll need to prepare your manager. I'm sure he's going to go crazy and get angry about this…'

Darren hadn't thought about that. He was so overwhelmed by his confession and sudden realization of feelings that he had completely forgotten about the whole I'm-straight-I-swear-by-the-rainbow-pony-hidden-in-my-closet contract. He thought for a minute and remained silent. He didn't want to worry Chris with the stupid clauses he had to add last summer, so he tried hard to come up with an excuse.

'See? You're thinking…I knew it! You're afraid! You're not sure about this' Chris said

'Shhhh don't start with that again…I was just thinking that I forgot everything about my manager and the contract…I hadn't thought about any of that until now…'

'He's going to be mad with us…'

'I don't care if he gets mad…I can always fire him'

'Darren! You can't do that…he has done a good job with your career…'

'I know, but you're with me now and if he can't handle that well…the door is always open for him to go…'

Chris smiled though he could not stop thinking about everything. _The fandom will go crazy! The press is going to harass us more than ever and Darren's career…_Darren was thinking carefully and trying to remember what the contract actually stated about relationships.

'Baby?' Chris asked

'Yes…?'

'I think we need time…I'm sure that you don't care about this, but we are a couple now and we have to protect ourselves, I care for you and I know you have to figure some things out about your contract and I need time…I don't think I can't deal with the pressure of being "out", I don't want to deal with all the harassment of the press…I just want to enjoy our time together…Do you think we can keep this as a secret for a while? Just for a month or two, I want to enjoy just being with you without having to worry about the paparazzi, the fans, our jobs or your career for that matter…please?'

Darren smiled shyly 'Are you sure? I think is going to be harder to keep this as a secret than our friendship, I don't know if I'll be able to resist the urge to kiss you whenever I want'

'Please Darren…for me? For us? I really, really need the time…and you need to get rid of your contract'

Darren thought about it for a minute. Chris was right, he also needed the time to figure out what to do with the clauses about his album.

'Okay…but we will have to spend all the time together whether you like it or not…if they ask we'll say we're friends…I'll try to see what I can do with my contract as soon as possible…I don't think I can wait for too long…'

'Thank you…it's the best decision for us…'

'If you say so…'

'It is…when are you going to talk to your manager?'

'On Monday…'

'But it's too soon!' Chris answered panicked

'The sooner the better…besides I need to do it…I haven't told you this…but I have a…mmm…special contract since last summer'

'Special contract?'

'Yes, I signed it before I started my listen up tour…it's about my public image…'

'Why didn't you tell me?'

'Because we were not friends at that time…Columbia made me sign some "special clauses" so I could release my album…I'm not allowed to tell anyone about it, but I need you to know cause I don't know how this is going to affect us…'

'What is on the contract exactly?'

'I don't remember the exact clauses cause they're kind of long, but in general is about me being straight…'

'OMG! I knew it! This is wrong! You're going to lose everything…and…'

'Shhhh stop it! It's going to be fine…I'll see what I can do about it on Monday and I'll give you the time you're asking, but please try not to worry about everything, we're together and that's all that matters…'

'But…what if…'

'Shhhh we will get through this together…you don't need to worry…we'll find the best solution for us…okay?'

'Okay…'

'I don't want you to worry, I just want you to be happy with me…'

'I'm the happiest guy in the world when I'm with you…I love you'

'I love you too'

o-o-o-o-o

'So you two are secret dating now? Why do you always have to do it like this? Secret friends, Secret lovers, Secret boyfriends, Really? And what the hell is all that crap about the contract?'

'We need to do it that way…we have no option…'

'No option?'

'Yes…you know how are the fans about us and the media…he just broke up with Mia and started dating me the next day…our haters are going to have a feast, they'll start to say he cheated on her and…'

'But it was not cheating…it's not cheating'

'I know, but everyone is going to think it was cheating and he'll have to deal with the idea of being the new gay cheater…'

'Fine! I give you the cheater scandal as a good point, but admit it, you're more worried about his career and the stupid contract'

'Of course I am…he's going to deal with a lot of hate after he reveal we're dating and we don't know what the contract says about that, he couldn't remember what it said exactly...'

'Okay that's true, however all contracts have an end date, so maybe it's not that bad…I think you two will have to analyze the situation from every angle…and of course he'll have to deal with a lot of hate, he lied about his sexuality almost his entire career, but the important thing is that you're going to be with him at every moment and I'm sure that your love and the love of his true fans is going to help him get through this…'

Chris smiled. Ashley always knew what to say to make him feel better.

'Thanks Ash...'

'You're welcome baby…By the way what happened with Mia?'

'I don't know…'

'You don't know?'

'No, I told him I didn't want to know…'

'But I wanted to know!'

Chris laughed 'You and your stupid curiosity…btw thanks for asking so many question about Adam in front of Darren…that was very subtle'

'Oh right! I almost forgot about that…what happened with him?'

'Nothing…you were right…I did flirt with him and he kind of thought we could be something else. but I told him I was in love with someone else and we're as good friends as ever…'

'I told you! Poor Adam!'

'I know! I felt bad about him cause I kind of used him, but I swear it was not intentionally…'

'Kind of? You completely used the guy! But it doesn't matter anymore…now you're happy and in love and dating the guy of your dreams…'

'Yes!' Chris said smiling broadly

o-o-o-o-o

After some time Ashley stood up and went to the bathroom. Chris remained seated just staring at the window. He received a message and smiled immediately.

D: I miss you…  
C: I miss you too…  
D: I'm bored…this meeting is taking tooooooo long  
C: Isn't it over yet?  
D: No, we started late…  
C: Are we going to lunch together? Ashley is here; we can go somewhere and have fun

'Who're you texting?' Ashley asked as soon as she came back

'Darren…'

She smiled and added 'I'm hungry…'

'Would you like to go out for some lunch? I don't want to cook'

'Of course! But what about him? Do you think he can go too? Maybe he can reach us at the restaurant' Ashley asked smiling

'I just asked…that was the original plan though I'm not sure he can go, he's still at the meeting'

'Has he answered you yet?'

'No…'

'Okay…let's give him some minutes, in the meanwhile we can decide where to go…it needs to be some place private, so you two can be more relaxed and preferably some place where nobody can recognize us…'

'We can go to the moon' Chris added sarcastically

'Do you have a rocket in your backyard?'

'No'

'Then I think we'll have to go somewhere else…'

They both laughed and Chris's phone rang.

D: Sorry beautiful! I don't think I can make it. I'm stuck in the middle of this stupid meeting, but have fun with Ashley! I know she must be eager to know every detail about us, so don't make her wait…tell her everything just keep out the naughty stuff…I love you! See you at night okay? We have a movie date and then, my place or yours? I love you!

'It's him…he can't reach us, but he says we enjoy ourselves…'

'Okay, let's go…'

'Just let me answer…'

C: Keep out the naughty stuff? Why? It's the best part…at least it's the one I enjoyed the most. And don't worry baby, I hope you're having a bit of fun…I see you at night…I'm looking forward for the movie (and hoping it's bored as hell) my place? I love you more and miss you too. XOXOXO  
D: That was my favorite part too…My only fun comes from your messages and right now I'm enjoying them pleasantly. You have a dirty little mouth and now I'm waiting for a very long and boring movie so I can have actual fun with my boyfriend…your place sounds awesome…I love you more (x10)…XOXOXO  
C: You know that my dirty little mouth can do a lot of things, so behave yourself and maybe you can get a reward…I love you more (x100)  
D: I always behave. ILY (X1000)  
C: This will get us nowhere…ILY (X10000)  
D: ILY (X100000)

'Can we go now or are we going to stay here all day while you text with him?'

Chris laughed. 'No…Let's go…'

C: Ashley is rushing me to go…what do you say if we declare this ILY WW1 a tie?  
D: ILY WW1? Okay it's a tie…but just for today, tomorrow we can start the ILY WW2…I love you  
C: I like that! Maybe we can finish it like the actual WW2 with an atomic blowjob bomb! I love you too  
D: Then I'm definitely going to win…I'll be the US…'  
C: Wait! Does that mean that I'm the one who gets the bomb?  
D: Precisely

'Chris…come on! Let's go!'

'Okay…I'm coming…'

C: How am I supposed to survive for the rest of the day after that war declaration?  
D: Think about me…  
C: Always

They both left the house and went for some lunch. Chris was grinning the whole time. He had everything he had always wanted. He was living his own fairytale and it was amazing.

* * *

**Hope you liked it! This chapter is pretty special cause it's the middle of the story (12 chapters). Thanks for all the reviews, favs, and follows you make my day. Love you all...XOXOXO**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello everyone! Here's a new chapter! Hope you like it! As always I warn you, if you're not a CC shipper please do not bother to read this, I'm sure you're gonna hate it, especially this chapter. (SPOILER: Not M and W friendly...)  
Thanks again for everything. Love you all!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Chris, Darren or any of the persons mentioned in this story.**

* * *

**CHAPTER 7**

Almost six weeks had passed since Chris and Darren were a couple. Their lives had been wonderful since then and they were happy and in love together. Although everything seemed to be just happiness, they still had some unresolved things in their relationship. By mutual arrangement, and after talking with both of their PR teams, they decided to keep their relationship as a secret until Darren's contract came to an end.

'Are you sure?' Darren had asked

'Completely...I think is what we need to do. I told you a week ago that we needed to protect ourselves, well...this is me, protecting you...'

'But you know I don't care about this, I'm willing to get rid of this stupid contract even if that means I'll never get the chance to release my album...'

'I know...but I do care, and I want what's best for you and that includes this' Chris had added 'Dare, this is a huge opportunity for you and your career, remember that your success will be mine, so don't worry baby, I think we can wait...you should sign those new clauses'

'But that's selfish and I can't do that to you and...'

'Shhhh is not selfish! Think about this, if I were in your situation I would expect you to do the same for me...'

'You know I'd do it'

'I know and that's why I'm doing it, I don't care to wait if we're still together...'

'We'll always be together...though I don't like to hide'

'Don't think of it as hiding, just think that we just have to be discrete...'

'But this is not fair!' Darren had said with a bit of anguish in his voice

'I know, but one day we will be able to scream our love to the world...we just need to wait for a bit longer...'

'Thank you for doing this...I love you'

'I love you more...'

Despite that, the weeks had been perfect. They had spent almost every day together at work and in each other's places. They had gone to many events, festivals and places as "friends" and every now and then as a couple when they were alone.

o-o-o-o-o

It was late and they were at Chris's trailer during a working break. Darren was resting his head on Chris's lap and Chris was playing with Darren's Blaine-bowtie, they had a few minutes more to spare for doing nothing.

'You know something?' Darren asked

'What?'

'These past six weeks have been the best I've had in a very long time…'

'When was the last time you were this happy?' Chris asked, still playing with Darren's Blaine-bowtie

'Well, actually I've never been this happy…though there was a time when I was almost this happy…'

'When?' Chris asked intrigued

Darren remained silent for a moment not sure if he wanted to answer the question, but after a while he spoke again.

'Please don't think I'm comparing or anything…'

Chris looked at him puzzled

'It was on summer of 2010…I had everything I wanted. I had just met Mia, I had just graduated from college with my best pals, I was on vacation and to top all that, I had just received the call from Ryan's office to offer me Blaine's role and I thought everything was perfect…'

'And now you're as happy as you were at that time…?' Chris asked

'No, I've never been this happy...I told you I was nearly as happy as I am right now…Can you see my smile? I'm the happiest guy in the fucking planet!'

'Really?' Chris asked smiling tenderly

'Yes!'

'Why?'

'Well, mostly because I have YOU in my life, but also I'm grateful because I have a wonderful work, I have wonderful friends, supporting fans and a beautiful family...'

Chris smiled sweetly and kissed Darren's forehead.

_Knock! Knock! Knock!_

Someone knocked at Chris's trailer and interrupted them. Darren quickly stood up and sat by the table. Chris straight his clothes and opened the door slowly.

'Adam! Hi!' Chris said

'Hey...Chris! Darren! I knocked at your trailer man, but nobody opened so I imagine you'd be here…I'm glad I was right…anyway…I was wondering if you two would like to go to a party this Saturday night…The whole thing will be set in the same place where I celebrated my birthday…I know you two are currently single, but you can bring anyone you want, a friend, a new date…whatever…By the way Darren I'm so sorry, but I had to invite your ex girl…you know she's my friend and well, I couldn't help but invite her, I hope you don't mind…'

'Thanks man! No, not problem at all' Darren answered, though he was already thinking for the perfect excuse to not attend the party.

'Thanks Adam' Chris added

'Okay...I see you two on Saturday! I'm off for today and I don't have scenes till next week so…see you two at the party!'

'Yeah…bye Adam…thanks for the invitation' Chris added and closed the door quickly. He turned around and looked at Darren. He was quiet, very quiet for his usual we're-going-to-a-party self.

'Is everything okay?' Chris asked

'Yes…' Darren hesitated 'Well, actually no…I don't want to go to the party…'

'Why? You love parties! Is it because he invited your ex?'

'Yes…'

_WHAT! Calm down Chris! Don't start to over analyze everything..._

'Why?' Chris asked trying to sound casual, but his voice sounded alarmed. He was trying hard to ignore his thoughts, but he wasn't succeeding. _He still has feelings for her! Shut up! He's in love with you!_

'She knows it's you!' Darren whispered

'What are you talking about?'

'Remember our first night together? I wanted to talk to you about what had happened with her…'

'Yes…and?' Chris asked anxiously

'Well you said it didn't matter and I thought you were right, but now I'm not that sure…'

'Why?'

'I told her I was in love with someone else…'

'And?' Chris asked again

'She knows it's you…'

'Oh!' Chris replied 'Are you sure about that?'

'Yes…I told her…'

'You told her! Why?'

'She deserved to know…'

'I understand that, but…'

'I know…that's why I don't want to go to the party…is going to be awkward for everyone…you, me…her…'

_He doesn't want to go 'cause is going to be awkward for her? Really? You must be kidding me!_

'Maybe she's not going to attend…'

'Believe me! I know her...She's going to be there…'

'Well, in that case I guess we can came up with an excuse for Adam…' Chris replied trying to suppress the real thoughts his mind and heart were having.

'You can go if you want to…I really don't mind' Darren added

_What's this all about? He don't mind? Is he ashamed of being with me or what?  
_

'Well, I want to go, but I also want to go with you…' Chris replied wounded

'I want to go too and with you of course, but you know what Ricky and Alla said…we can't come out as a couple just yet, we need to wait until I start recording so we can end the contract. And considering the fact that she knows it's you, I'm a little afraid...I don't want to push our luck any further...besides I still care for her and I don't want her to suffer more than she already did'

Chris rolled his eyes internally. The whole situation about waiting till the contract ended was tiring him. He wanted them to wait to come out as a couple, but there were so many things that lately had been tired him, to the point that he really did not know what to think. Ricky's and Alla's constant commentaries about them were annoying, but what really was upsetting him was this new jealous sensation. That was actually the core to his sudden panic, the feeling of Darren worrying about her. His thoughts were betraying him and he could not help but imagine them together and that was cracking his nerves. He snapped tired and answered a little annoyed.

'Don't worry! I'll ask Ashley if she wants to go with me and you can excuse yourself with Adam, maybe you can tell him you had a last minute event or something. I'm sure Ricky will help you find the perfect excuse' Chris said sarcastically

'Why are you talking like that?'

'Like what?' Chris snapped again

'Like that! "Don't-worry" "You-can-excuse-yourself" "I'm-sure-Ricky-will-help-you-find-the-perfect-excuse". Two minutes ago it was "we-can-came-up-with-an-excuse" and now I'm on my own?'

'It's not that! I was just pointing out that Ricky seems to always find the perfect excuse for everything…' Chris replied being sarcastic again

Darren rolled his eyes. He knew his boyfriend better than he originally thought.

'Okay I get it…you're mad. But let me remind you that you agree to all of this! It was your idea in the first place, I was willing to finish my album's contract, but you said we could wait...'

'Yes I know I said that, but maybe I don't want that anymore…'

'You what?'

'You heard me...'

'Wait! You want us to come out as a couple?' Darren asked realizing what Chris had just implied

'Maybe…' Chris answered shrugging

Darren opened his jaw in disbelief. You could read on his eyes he was seriously questioning himself: who is this man and what has he done with my boyfriend?

'I don't get it! You said you wanted to wait…you said it was better if we wait until the contract ended'

'I know, but maybe I don't want to do that anymore'

'Why?' Darren asked

Chris shut his mouth. _Why? Why do you want him to admit you two are dating? It's obvious, isn't it? You're jealous!_

'Chris…' Darren said waiting for an answer 'Please..answer me. Why did you suddenly want us to come out as a couple?'

Chris rolled his eyes widely and answered yelling.

'Because I am jealous! Okay? I can't fucking stand the idea of you worrying about her! I know you love me, but that's how I feel…perhaps I'm being selfish but I don't fucking care! What we have is beautiful and it's not a bad thing, as Ricky seems to highlight every time he has the fucking opportunity! I'm not ashamed of loving you! I'M NOT ASHAMED OF BEING WITH YOU! I LOVE YOU! I FUCKING LOVE YOU! And all of this wait-till-the-fucking-contract-ends sounds to be quite honest like a huge bag of bullshit! I know I agreed to all this for your album but I can't help it! Sometimes I feel that Ricky and Alla could have done more for us, but they didn't and I just want to be free to love you and I want you to feel free to love me…I'm tired of Ricky's and Alla's commentaries! I don't want to feel afraid anymore! I want to feel we're doing the right thing! I want everyone to know that YOU LOVE ME! Especially now that I know you still care about her! Sorry! But I can't help it! I want everyone to know that WE ARE TOGETHER...'

Darren's jaw was open widely. Chris had never used so many curse words in one single sentence. He was mad and Darren knew he was being serious, very serious, but for him this new Chris-I'm-mad-don't-fucking-touch-me was sexy.

'I used to think that you naked on my bed was the most arousing and sexy thing in the fucking world, but I was wrong, so wrong! You cursing with that beautiful mouth is sexier…'

'Come on Darren! I'm serious here!' Chris replied yelling angry

'I know you're serious, but you're overreacting as always…and I'm not gonna let you win this fight cause I know it will only revive your fears, so forget about everything I just said…We're going to the party. End of the story'

'What did you just say?' Chris snapped, still willing to start a fight

'I'm going to the fucking party with you! I get it! You're jealous and I'm not going to deny I'm flattered and I like the sensation. I understand what you said about Ricky and Alla and I'll do something about it later…about the contract, you know I can't do anything in the legal way right now, you were there when we talked about it with the lawyers, but if you really want us to come out as a couple I think I can throw away the contract and deal with the consequences later…and I don't want you to think I'm ashamed of being with you or any of that nonsense's you just said…I love you and that's the end of the story! I know you want to fight, but I will not allow this shit to become our first fight, so you have two options, you can breathe deeply, smile and kiss me now or you can go to refresh your face, breathe deeply, smile and kiss me then...it's your choice' Darren said smiling

Chris rolled his eyes, breathed deeply, smiled broadly and ran to kiss him.

'That's better…though I'm not going to deny that your new dirty vocabulary is so damn sexy'

Chris blushed and buried his face under Darren's neck.

'I'm sorry I lost control' he said

'A little…but I don't mind, I'm glad you can be honest with me even shouting and cursing'

'I'm sorry, I didn't want to yell at you. We don't have to come out as a couple just yet…I just said that because I was jealous and I really wanted everyone to know that you love me, especially her, but I know it's better if we wait…'

'Really?'

'Yes! I was acting stupid, I know that the consequences of throwing away that contract are bad for both of us, but especially for you, so no, we don't have to come out just yet and also you don't have to go to the party if you don't want to'

'I know that the consequences are bad, but I don't want to lose you, I'd prefer to go trough that hell than to lose you, and talking about the party...I do want go, I had already said that, but you started twisting my words and over-thinking everything as always'

'Sorry…' Chris said kissing Darren's cheek

'I love you…there's no one else! When are you going to understand that?'

'One day…'

Darren rolled his eyes.

o-o-o-o-o

Saturday night...

Ashley and Chris arrived first. Adam's party was set at a very famous bar in the main city. Chris and Darren, after a prior mutual agreement, decided to arrive separately with their respective best friends: Ashley and Joey (the Starkid guy).

'Hello you two!' Ashley exclaimed as soon as she saw Darren and Joey approaching the line to walk in the green carpet

Darren was smiling broadly but discretely. Chris was breathless. He hadn't seen Darren in almost 2 days and he was looking good, very good.

'Hi Ashley…Chris. You two look great' Darren said carefully and aware of the tons of paparazzi taking pictures of everyone in line to enter the party

'Hi...likewise' Chris replied quietly

'Hello Dare…and Apple #8' Ashley said teasing Joey

'Joey…I'm Joey!' Joey exclaimed tired of mockery about his little Glee appearance

'Joey, she's Ashley, she was on Glee too and is also Chris's best friend and well, he is Chris, but you already knew that…' Darren said doing the introduction protocol

'Nice to meet you Ashley and nice to see you again Chris in more funny circumstances…and don't worry' he added smirking 'I'm aware of everything and I'm glad for you two…I hope that now we can become friends, after all I'm your boyfriend's best friend…'

Chris smiled 'Of course…that would be great Joey'

'Perfect! Now why don't I pretend to hug Ashley, so you two can say hello to each other with a kiss…I can cover you from the paps' Joey said teasing Chris and Darren

Chris rolled his eyes and Darren hit Joey.

'Behave or I swear this is the last time I invite you…or ask for your help' Darren snapped

'Okay, okay! I'll behave, though tonight I'm definitely not going to dance with you…you're a terrible dancer…besides, everyone is going to think that I'm your new beard…so Ashley, would you mind to be my dance partner for the night?'

'Sure!' Ashley replied

'You cannot be a beard 'cause you're a guy' Chris added

'I know, but you get the picture, right?'

Darren rolled his eyes and gave Chris a warm smile

'Sorry about all this' Darren whispered to Chris

'Don't worry, I know him. He's playful, but to be honest, I like his idea...I do want to kiss you…I've missed you…'

'I've missed you too…'

'Stop whispering! It's too obvious, there are paps all over the place' Ashley added

They both rolled their eyes and remained silent. The line to enter the party was moving and they were almost near the first row of paps.

'I think here is when we parted…see you inside guys' Ashley said pulling Chris at her side

Chris and Darren looked at each other and shrugged. The moment was awkward, Darren and Chris wanted to hug each other and enter to the party together as a normal couple, but they couldn't and Joey and Ashley knew it and they both were laughing about it.

'I don't see what's so funny Ash...'

'You two are...' She replied

'Shut up and lets move! It's our turn…' Chris said

'Okay…' Ashley said

'Can I take your arm?' Joey asked Darren

'Fuck you!' Darren answered 'I really don't know what I was thinking when I invited you…'

'Surely the same thing Chris was thinking when he invited me' Ashley said taunting and high-fiving Joey before moving from the waiting line.

Both Darren and Chris rolled their eyes and reluctantly took their places next to them. Joey and Ashley were still laughing and making fun of them.

o-o-o-o-o

'Guys! You made it!' Adam exclaimed as soon as he saw Chris and Ashley arriving from the green carpet.

'Hi Adam…looking good!'

'Thanks Chris! Likewise, I mean WOW with this attire! So chic!…'

'Thanks, I did my best'

'You totally nailed it! Ashley! I'm glad you came too'

'Hi Adam…' Ashley answered

Darren and Joey arrived after a few more minutes and both greeted Adam.

'Darren! Hi! I thought you wouldn't come…Who's your friend?'

'Hi Adam! He's Joey…'

'Ahhh yeah I know you! Ron Weasley…right?'

'The very same…' Joey answered

'Welcome you too…I'm glad you all are here! There are a couple of tables still available if you all want to sit together or there are some free spots at some tables…'

'Thanks Adam' They replied at the same time

'Have fun guys! See you all later okay?'

'Okay' they replied back

Once Adam was gone Ashley spoke. 'I think we can sit together right? There's nothing wrong with that…besides, you two are supposedly friends and friends can sit together, so this is pretty normal...'

'Believe it or not Ash…we're friends too…' Chris replied

'Yeah, yeah, whatever…let's go find a table…'

They started walking between the tables to find a free spot, but the place was huge so that took them a couple of minutes. The whole time Darren and Chris were scanning the room, they both were expecting to find the same person, but neither said a word, apparently there was not sight of Mia.

o-o-o-o-o

They found an empty table near the end of the room. It was perfect because it was partially hidden behind a large plasma TV. Everyone sat down and ordered some drinks.

'Right away sir!' said the waiter

'Thanks' Darren replied after ordering the drinks

Joey started chatting with Ashley and forgot completely he was there to help his friend to be next to his real date in secret. Darren was worried about Mia, but he was happy, after all he was enjoying some time next to the man he loved and nothing else mattered.

'Maybe she didn't come after all' Darren suddenly said when he saw Chris scanning the room for the second time

'Who?' Chris asked lying

'Mia…'

'Ahhh her…no I didn't see her'

'Me neither…I know you're looking for her, but let's forget about everything and everyone and just enjoy the night, okay?'

'Okay…though I still want to kiss you' Chris answered quietly

'Maybe later we can sneak away to the bathroom…' Darren said smirking. Chris smiled back and the waiter arrived with their drinks.

'I would like to propose a toast…' Darren said as soon as the waiter was gone

'What for?' Joey asked

'To honor everything, life, friends, moments...love' he said smiling directly at Chris

'Cheers' everyone replied though Chris whispered an "I love you"

o-o-o-o-o

The party was amazing, everyone was dancing and singing and having so much fun. Chris and Darren could even dance together some songs as a group with Ashley and Joey. The place was full of people, so it was easy for Chris and Darren to sneak into the bathroom more than once to make out a little.

'Again?' Ashley asked as soon as she saw the two guys returning from the bathroom for the 5th time in the evening.

Darren smiled and shrugged.

'What?' Chris asked

'You have to be more careful, the place is full of people who we all know…anyone can see that you two are sneaking away to the bathroom every half an hour! Besides, you're acting like two high school kids!'

'We've been careful…and we're not high school kids' Chris added smiling

'Where's Joey?' Darren asked when he saw his friend was missing

'He went outside for a moment, apparently someone called him'

'Okay…let's order another round of drinks while he returns, shall we?'

o-o-o-o-o

Ashley, Darren and Chris were at the table talking about a new viral video from a stupid dance when Joey came back and took a seat at the table.

'Dare…buddy…I need to talk to you!' Joey said looking worried

'What is it bud?'

'Let's get some drinks okay?' He said

Chris, Ashley and Darren looked at him puzzled. The waiter had just left a round of new drinks, the glasses were untouched at the table.

'Please? It's important!' Joey insisted when he saw Darren's hesitation

'Okay…' Darren answered shrugging

They walked toward the hall near the bathroom's aisle. Chris and Ashley were staring at them the whole time. Something was not right. You could tell that just by looking at Joey's pale face.

'What is it Joey? Why you wanted to talk to me in private? You know I don't have secrets with Chris…he'll know whatever you want to tell me…'

'I know, but I needed to tell you this first...'

'What is it?'

'Mia's here!' He said alarmed

'Oh! Well…she was invited so I'm not surprised, we all knew that was a possibility…'

'I know that! But she's not alone' Joey added desperately

'I suppose she's not alone, this is a party so…'

'No! I mean she's not alone, she came with someone'

'I'm glad for her! She deserves to find someone who loves her…' Darren answered still unsure of what was the urgency in seeing her with someone

'Darren! Please! This is serious! You know the guy!' Joey practically yelled

Darren frowned 'I do? Who's it?'

'Will!' Joey yelled alarmed

'Who's Will?' Darren asked puzzled

Joey rolled his eyes and said 'Really? Will! Your boy's ex-boyfriend!'

Darren felt his blood leaving his body. This was bad. He was speechless. He was wondering: What are they doing together?

'Darren! Say something….' Joey urged him

'Are you sure it's him?'

'Yeah, I just met him…Mia approached me at the entrance and introduced me to his "gay" date and he clearly said: Hi! I'm Will Sherrod, Chris Colfer's ex-boyfriend'

'Fuck!'

'I know! That's exactly what I thought…what are you going to do? I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling about this…'

'I don't know…I need to talk to Chris first…'

'He's going to freak out'

'I know!' Darren answered worried

'We can leave right now if you want to…I can distract Mia and this Will's boy and you two can sneak out with Ashley using the back door and I can reach you at the parking lot later'

'Thanks bud! But I don't know…it's not fair…let me talk to Chris first, okay?'

'Okay…'

o-o-o-o-o

They came back to the table and Chris and Ashley were looking at them inquisitively. Chris's eyes were scanning Darren's with carefulness. Chris knew Darren was worried.

'What is it Dare?' Chris asked

'I need to tell you something' Darren said taking a seat next to Chris

'What?'

'Please don't freak out…' he said taking Chris's hand under the table

'What is it?' Chris asked again already freaking out

'Well…Mia is here…' Darren said

'We knew that was a possibility…'

'Yes, I know, but she's not alone'

'Who's with her?' Chris asked puzzled

Darren breathed deeply before answering. He knew Chris would freak out as soon as he heard Will's name

'Your ex…Will'

'WHAT?' Both Chris and Ashley, who was listening to the whole conversation, yelled

'Shhhh, Shhhh…calm down' Darren tried to calm them. 'Joey just met him…'

'But what is he doing here? And with her! How? When?' Chris asked shocked

'We don't know…Mia approached Joey at the entrance and introduced Will to him…'

'Yeah, and the guy introduced himself as Will Sherrod, Chris Colfer's ex-boyfriend!' Joey added

'OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG!' Chris said panicking

'Calm down beautiful…please….' Darren whispered 'Everything is going to be fine…Joey was suggesting an escape plan…'

Chris was speechless. _Will and Mia? Why? How? When?_ _This is bad. Very bad: they both know we're in love with each other, they must know or at least suspect that we're together! Crap! Crap! Crap!  
_

'We can go now. Joey can distract them and we can sneak out with Ashley using the back door and…' Darren was repeating Joey's idea.

'No!' Chris snapped 'No escape plan! I'm tired of that! Why are they together in the first place? When did that happen?' Chris asked

'We don't have a clue' Darren answered honestly

'I don't know ,he didn't say more…just what I told you' Joey added

'I can try to get the answer' Ashley suggested

'How?' Darren asked

'He's still my friend, I can go and say hi and asked him why he's here with her…though you two will have to stay apart from each other until we know what's going on…I think is better that way'

'Sounds like a good plan' Joey added

Everyone agreed to the plan. Chris stayed at the table unable to move due to the shock and Joey and Darren went to the dance floor to lose some time.

o-o-o-o-o

A couple of minutes had passed and Chris was still thinking about all this mess because nothing seemed to make sense._ It doesn't make any sense...I don't like this at all! Something is wrong..._Suddenly someone sat by the table. It was Mia. Chris froze._ What is she doing here?  
_

'Hello Krispie…' she said smiling

'Hi…Mia…' Chris answered unable to formulate a complete sentence

'How are you?'

_What's all this about?_

'Mmmm fine…and you?' He said trying to be polite

'I'm getting better now…'

_Damn! What does she want? _

_'_I was a mess a few weeks ago, but now I'm getting better…' She added

_This is definitely about Darren_. Chris smiled apologetically.

'Are you enjoying the party?' she asked

'Yep…' Chris said sipping his drink to get some strength

'Me too…it's been a funny and very revealing party'

Chris smiled politely trying to hide his panic. _Revealing? Why? Maybe she saw me when I went to the bathroom with Darren! Get a grip Chris! Of course not, it was the guys' bathroom! Everything's going to be fine. You need to calm down!_

'Have you seen Will? He's my date tonight'

'Will? My ex?' Chris asked hiding the fact he already knew that

'Yes…'

'I didn't know he was here, so no, I haven't. What are you two doing together?'

'We're friends now'

'I'm glad…' Chris added though he was shocked. His mind was solving the puzzle and the picture wasn't as pleasant as he'd like

'Maybe you should stop by our table to say hi…that would be nice'

'Maybe later' Chris replied

'And maybe if we still have time we can talk…'

'Who? You and me?' Chris asked in disbelief

'Yes...' she said smiling with a glimpse of wickedness on her face

'About what?'

'Oh come on Krispie! Let's not be hypocrites, shall we? We have a few unsolved issues on our ways…a little chit chat would be nice'

'I don't know what you're talking about. I don't think we have any unsolved issues. We barely know each other!'

'I know, but we do have some unsolved things…'

'Such as...?' Chris asked puzzled

'Darren'

'Darren?' Chris asked faking surprise

Mia smirked sardonically 'Come on Krispie! I know, okay?'

Chris looked at her confused. _Shit! Shit! Shit! She knows! She knows!_

'I don't know what you're talking about' He added

'Really?' she asked sarcastically 'Look… I get it! Maybe this is not the right place to have this talk after all, what do you say if we talk tomorrow or Monday?'

'I already told you, I have nothing to talk to you…and I don't know what you're talking about'

'I tried to be nice, but you leave me with no option! Let's get rid of the masks, okay Krispie? I know a lot, so if you value even a little Darren's career you'll accept my offer to talk…'

Chris froze. _Is she threatening me?_

'I beg your pardon?'

'You heard me'

'Are you threatening me?' Chris asked pissed

'Me? No, not at all! I just want to talk with you…that's all…you're a big boy and I'm sure you'll know what's best for you'

_Bitch! She's threatening me! How dare she! _

'Monday at lunch?' she added. Chris gulped.

'I have to work' he managed to say

'I know...I work there too, remember? I checked your schedule…you're supposed to be on set until 5, so we have plenty of time…' she added sarcastically.

She took one of the untouched drinks from the table and drank it in one sip. Chris was motionless.

'Well…I guess I see you on Monday! 3pm at the place near the office. I think there is no point in warning you about this conversation…You're a smart guy, so I'm sure you know this whole chat never happened right?'

Chris nodded. He was speechless. His worst nightmares were coming true.

'It was nice talking to you again…see you on Monday' She said leaving the table.

Chris breathed again, took his cell phone from the table and ran to the bathroom; the tears were threatening to come out.

o-o-o-o-o

'Where's Chris?' Darren asked as soon as he saw Ashley sitting alone by the table

'I thought he was with you…' She answered

'No he stayed here. I went to the dance floor with Joey...we were over there…'

'I'm right here…I was at the bathroom' Chris said approaching the table.

He had his eyes a little puffed, but not enough for someone to notice he had cried. Not even Darren. He faked a smile at everyone at the table and sat down next to Darren.

'What did he said?' Chris asked Ashley

'Nothing actually, he's acting weird, is like if he was someone else…he just said he was here to have fun and that Mia and him were now friends and that she has invited him'

Chris knew why he was acting weird. He was part of this entire if-you-value-even-a-little-Darren's-career plan. Chris felt sick. _Who are those people? What's wrong with them?_

'Friends?' Darren asked puzzled

'Apparently…though I have no clue how that happened. I asked him about it, but he just said: those things happen…' Ashley replied

'I'm new in this little puzzle so maybe I'm lost or misjudging things, but this whole story sounds like a conspiracy to me…' Joey added

'Joey!' Darren exclaimed

'Sorry bud, but it's the truth! Come on, think about it! Your ex-girl with your currently boy's ex-boy? That sounds like a bad combination…it's like a satanic cult…it's not right…'

'He has a point…it's not right! It's wrong in every way' Ashley added 'When I was talking to him something similar crossed my mind and I even asked him about it, but the weirdest thing is that he just smiled and said: don't think too much okay Ashley? Believe me I know you'll hate me if you find out what I've been doing'

'See? It's all a fucking conspiracy! They are up to something' Joey assured

Darren rolled his eyes although he was considering the whole conspiracy idea more than he wanted to admit to himself. Chris was silent. He already knew that everything they were saying was true. They were up to something.

'What do you think Chris?' Ashley asked

_I think they want to get me away from Darren! _Chris thought.

'I think we should forget about them and enjoy what's left of the party…' he added trying to hide his inner panics and fears

'Are you sure you don't want us to go?' Darren asked tenderly

'I'm sure Dare…' He said stroking his hand under the table

'We can go whenever you want okay?' He added

'Thanks babe…' he said in a lower voice

'Okay…well…let's dance and forget about all this shit! Waiter!' Joey yelled 'Another round of drinks please!' He said 'I think we'll need stronger drinks to keep up after this…' He said smiling at everyone at the table.

o-o-o-o-o

The party came to an end and Chris and Darren went as they had arrived, Chris with Ashley and Darren with Joey. When Chris was at his car with Ashley she asked:

'Are you okay Chris? You didn't say a word after we talked about Will…Is everything fine? You look weird'

'Yeah I'm fine…' he lied 'I think everything just kind of shocked me…that's all'

'Are you sure?'

'Yeah totally…I just want to forget that this whole thing happened'

'Okay' Ashley smiled

Chris faked a smile and started singing with the music on the radio, though his mind was trying to focus on finding a way to face Mia on Monday. He couldn't help but remember Mia's words: _If you value even a little Darren's career you'll accept my offer to talk. _He was scared. Terrified._ What is she going to tell me? Is Will going to be there too?_ Chris panicked but kept his poker face. He had to solve this alone. Darren, Ashley, Joey or no one should know about this. He would have to face whatever they wanted alone.

* * *

**This is the end of this gamechanger chapter! I'm sorry! Please don't hate me! I didn't want to use M and W as the bad guys, but this story is about fantasy so I thought: Why not? Hope you liked it! Thank you so much for reading and stay tuned for the next chapter...XOXOXO**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello again! Here's a new chapter, hope you enjoy it! As always if you're not a CC shipper please do not bother to read this, I'm sure you're not going to like it! (I know I repeat this in every chapter, but there are still some anti-CC that are reading the story and are sending hate or reporting the story. Apparently they can't understand that this is just a story about FANTASY with no harm intended...) SPOILER ALERT: If you like M & W don't read this chapter! Thanks to all of you who are thrilled with the story! You're WONDERFUL!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Darren, Chris or any of the persons mentioned in this story.**

* * *

**CHAPTER 8 **

Chris was extremely anxious and was sweating like crazy. He was on his way to the cafeteria near the office to have "the talk" with Mia. He didn't know what to expect, but he was scared to death. _Relax, Chris! You're just going to hear what she has to say...relax...everything is going to be fine!_ His mind was having trouble to concentrate due to the fear and because he was still remembering he had lied to Darren about his sudden lunch meeting and he hated to lie.

o-o-o-o-o

A few hours earlier…

'Am I talking with the talented Chris Colfer?'

'That depends...Are you the handsome and talented Darren Criss?'

'Well, my name is Darren, but I don't know if I can fulfill the whole description'

'Of course you can! You're the most handsome, talented and amazing man of the planet!'

'Gee thanks, but I think you're wrong cause the most handsome, talented and amazing man of the planet and universe is you...'

Chris smiled and just replied 'thank you...'

'How are you?' Darren asked tenderly

'Fine, and you?'

'I'm fine...what are you doing?'

'I'm driving and you?'

'I'm missing you...wait! are you using your phone while driving? Don't do that, that's the most terrible combination ever! Pull over!'

'Don't worry, you're on speaker...and I'm missing you too'

'That's better...never use your phone while driving...'

'I know...'

'Where are you going? I thought we had to be on set until 5...'

'Yeah, but I have a last minute meeting...'

'So that means we will not go to work together?'

'I'm sorry baby, but I can't…I have a meeting with this new publicist to talk about a new book…it's very last minute…I'm sorry'

'Really? That's terrific! Those are wonderful news, and in that case, I'm more than happy to hear we will not go to work together, so I guess I'll see you later on set right?'

'Yeah…see you later…'

'Good luck with the meeting…I want details, okay?'

'Thanks baby…I'll tell you about it later' He said feeling guilty for lying to him 'and Dare….'

'Yes?'

'I love you…deeply'

'I love you too'

'I know, I just wanted you to know…don't forget it, okay?'

'Okay…' Darren answered a little confused

'See you soon baby…bye'

'Bye'

o-o-o-o-o

The parking lot of the place that Mia had suggested was deserted. Chris pulled over near the main entrance and entered the cafeteria. His body was shaking from head to toe. _Breathe Chris! Breathe!_ The place, like the parking was empty. There were just a few people scattered near the bar and in some tables, but other than that, the place was deserted. Mia was already there waiting for him at a table near the entrance. Chris took a deep breath and walked towards her. She was alone and Chris felt relieved; Will was not there. _One less face to worry about!_

'Hello Krispie…' She said

'Stop calling me like that! And tell me what are we doing here! I don't have a lot of time…'

'Relax, relax…why don't you take a seat so we can talk like grown people? Chris...' She said pointing out Chris's name with sarcasm.

Chris hesitated and sat down. He was extremely uncomfortable and wanted to run and scream and cry all at the same time.

'Would you like to order something to eat?' She asked

'No I'm fine…what do you want to talk about?'

'Easy! all in good time…I'm going to order some coffee, you want some?'

'No thank you' Chris repeated rolling his eyes.

'As you wish...'

She ordered some coffee and stared at Chris for some minutes while the waitress was taking the order. Chris was staring at her with hard eyes. He wasn't willing to let her see him weak or scared. They stayed in that position for a couple of minutes more until the waitress poured the coffee and left the table.

o-o-o-o-o

'You're a very handsome man…did you know that?' she finally said as soon as they were alone again.

'Thank you, but I believe we're not here to praise ourselves. Am I right? What do you want?' Chris asked determined and with a bit of confidence in his voice

He was shocked with himself. He sounded so confident and unafraid that he almost believed he was feeling like that: determined and confident. But the truth was, he was terrified and afraid and wanted to cry on the inside.

'You've grown since I met you…you're more mature, more confident about yourself. I have to admit that I'm impressed…I can even see the charm…' She said smiling sarcastically

'What do you want?' Chris asked tired of all the sudden compliments

'I want to make a deal with you…'

'A deal? with me? I have nothing to deal with you'

'Oh! Believe me! You do have! I told you the other night…I know what you and Darren have'

'And I told you, the other night, that I didn't know what you were talking about…' Chris added

'Then why are you here?' she asked smiling sarcastically

'Isn't it obvious? Darren is my friend and I care for him…' he lied

'Chris please! Don't try to fool me…Darren dumped me because he said he was in love with you, and you dumped Will for the same reasons…I'm smart enough to do the math…'

_Of course! That's not math! That's common sense! Even a 2-year-old can see that! _

'What do you want?' Chris asked annoyed

Mia smiled triumphantly, she knew she was winning.

'I want you to leave him'

_WHAT!_

'I beg your pardon?' Chris asked shocked

'You heard me. I want you to leave him...'

'I can't do that, I already told you I'm just his friend and I'll remain being his friend...'

'Please Chris! No more lies! I know you two are together…'

'Of course we're together, we're friends...I already told you that 2 times!'

'Chris please! You're more than friends...'

'Are you sure about what you're saying?' Chris asked trying to win some time

'Yes! That's why we are having this lil' talk and like I said before...I want you to leave him'

_That's it!_ Chris breathed deeply and with all his courage answered honestly. He knew the denial plan was pointless at this point.

'Okay, no more lies! Yes! You're right! I'm with him! We've been dating! so what? What's wrong with that?' Chris answered tired

'Everything is wrong...'

'Maybe is wrong for you, but I don't see it that way and neither does he, so this talk is pointless'

'You say you love him, right?' she asked clearly ignoring Chris's last comment

'Yes I do'

'Then if you're telling the truth you must leave him...'

'Why would I do that? that doesn't make any sense!' Chris asked

'Cause let's say that I have some interesting information to give to the press that can confirm your secret relationship…'

Chris gasped in shock. This was, without a doubt, his worst nightmares coming true. However he managed to ask:

'And? I don't see the problem there, our relationship is a secret because we wanted to keep it like that for a while...' he lied

'Don't forget I was his girlfriend, okay? I know everything about the contract. Besides, I have friends who informed that, just a couple of weeks ago he signed more NDA clauses, am I right? I know that right now your relationship is the…mmmm…let's say, the death sentence for his album's contract. I know these new clauses clearly specified no BAD press till the album is recorded. Imagine what would happen if your relationship come out now? It would be a catastrophe! I can even picture the tabloids...Glee star heartthrob is dating his coworker…he claimed to be straight but apparently he's not'

Chris froze. She was blackmailing him. _You cheap slut!_

'I don't think you have anything…you're just making that up to scare me' he said

She laughed 'Chris please! I have a lot of information, you two haven't been very...cautious'

_Crap! Crap! Crap!_

'Besides, I'm not alone in this…'

'No? Who's with you?' He asked even though he already knew who was helping her

'Will your ex...Poor boy! He was completely torn after you broke up with him. I helped him get out of the depression and I gave him a reason to smile again'

'What reason?'

'The chance to get you back, of course! Since then he has been very helpful…he has even more stuff than I have' she added

'Will agreed to help you?' Chris asked trying to get as much information as possible

'Yes, he did. In fact this conversation was his idea…'

'Then, why he's not here?'

'Cause I told him it was going to be better if we had this talk alone, I didn't knew if you would come and he had some work to do, so...'

'I can't believe he agreed to all of this crap' Chris said

'Believe it, cause it's true...he has been very cooperative with me. I think we're fighting for the same cause'

'Which cause?'

'Love'

'Love?' Chris asked stunned

'Yes…Will loves you and I love Darren…'

'But I'm not in love with Will! You can't force us to be with any of you'

'We're not going to force any of you, you two are just deeply confused. I know you have spent a lot of time working together and maybe that has confused you about what you really feel about each other. Believe me, I completely understand you Chris, Darren is breathtaking, he is talented, handsome and a wonderful human being, but what you feel for him is not real'

'How do you know how I feel? You don't know me at all!'

'I don't need to know you, everybody falls for him...he's charming, handsome, romantic and talented…what's not to love? But eventually everybody realize it's just an illusion, not true love…'

'But he doesn't love you' Chris replied in self-defense

'I'm not sure about that either…what we had was special…you could not begin to imagine what we lived…'

'Lived…in past tense…' Chris pointed out

'I know he still has feelings for me…'

'Yes! You're right! He likes you and appreciates you, but that's all'

'He loves me' she said

'No, he doesn't'

She rolled her eyes and said: 'Look, I'm not going to argue with you, okay?…I already told you what you need to do…it's your call'

'What if I don't agree to do it?'

'Well, we're going to give everything to the press and you can start to imagine the end of the story…'

_Oh god!_ Chris hesitated for a moment and asked

'Are you sure you're in love with him?'

'Yes…why?'

'Because if you really loved him, you wouldn't be doing all of this… do you want him to be miserable?'

'Of course not! I just want him to be happy!'

'He's happy with me'

'You don't understand anything! He's just confused!' She said yelling like a crazy woman

'He's not confused! He's in love with me and you can't change that!'

'I'm not going to waste my time trying to make you understand any of this! You're still too young to understand how love works! I'm sure about his feelings for me and that's the end of the story'

'You're just trying to fool yourself. Nothing that you just said is true...and you know it'

'I think that the one who's trying to fool himself is you...'

_She's acting like a crazy woman! What's wrong with her?_

'I know one day you'll thank me, but for now you have two options. Leave him now or watch how his career and yours sink like the Titanic'

Chris shut his mouth. _What can I do? Think Chris! Think! I can't leave him because I love him, but I can't let them destroy his career because I love him! Damn!  
_

'Awww don't worry Chris…I see you're clearly shocked and although you're not going to believe it, I'm not a bad person, so I'll give you some time to think this over, okay?'

Chris gulped.

'You have until Friday...same place, same time…'

_Damn! 5 days!  
_

o-o-o-o-o

The whole week Chris felt like if he was living in a horrifying and endless nightmare. He kept everything to himself and tried to hide away all the blackmailing crap from Ashley and Darren, especially from Darren. On Thursday night, while he was waiting for Darren to got to his home, he called Mia.

'Mia?'

'Hi Krisp…Chris'

'I want you to bring everything you claim to have tomorrow…and also bring Will…I want to talk to both of you….'

'Wait, wait, wait, I think you're not in the position to impose us anything, but I'll be nice and I'll bring everything…including Will…'

'Thanks'

'I see you tomorrow then…'

'Yeah, yeah' Chris said and hung up the phone just in time, because Darren had just arrived to spend the night at Chris's house.

o-o-o-o-o

_Knock! Knock! Knock!_

Chris inhaled deeply, put the stupid phone aside and opened the door trying to smile to hide his fear.

'Hello beautiful!' Darren said kissing him instantly

'Hello Dare…' he replied

'What's wrong?' Darren asked looking at Chris's worried eyes

'Nothing! I'm tired, that's all…' Chris lied

'Come! let's go to the couch, you can rest and sleep on my lap if you want...I brought some boring movies'

o-o-o-o-o

They lay down on the couch and Darren put on some musical comedy movie. Chris rested his head on Darren's lap and stared at the TV without actually watching the movie. Darren was singing along with one of the songs of the movie when Chris spoke again:

'Dare…'

'Yes beautiful?'

'I love you' Chris confessed saying each word as a lifesaver

'I love you too…but, why are you saying it like that?'

'Cause I really love you…don't forget it, okay?'

'Is everything all right?' Darren asked worried

_No! They want to separate us!_

'Yes…I just need you to promise me that you'll never forget how much I love you, okay?'

Darren was puzzled, but answered honestly.

'Okay…I promise'

'You mean it?'

'Yes…I promise I'll never forget you love me!'

'Thank you…'

o-o-o-o-o

The next day Chris hurried out from his house as soon as Darren left. He had to be on time for the stupid blackmailing appointment. The place was deserted, as had been the last time he had been there. The only difference was that this time Will was with Mia. Chris felt a blow to his guts when he saw Will. From Mia he could expect anything, but not from Will; he was nice. At least he used to think that he was nice.

'Hello Chris' Mia said

'Hi Mia…Will'

'Hi Chris' Will added

'You wanted to talk to us. Here we are, we're listening...You want to order something?' Mia added

'No, I just want to see everything you two have before I give you any answer' Chris said sitting at the table

'Seems fair' Mia said 'show him everything' she told Will

Will placed a folder on the table. Chris opened it cautiously. _Shit!_ Inside they were hundreds of pictures of Darren and him from the past few weeks. At Paramount's parking lot, at the now no-so-secret park, at the movies, at Coachella, at Chris's trailer…arriving at Chris's house, at Darren's house and some even at Ashley's. This was a nightmare. These pictures were clearly real…he could even remember every single moment like if it had just happened yesterday. In all of them they were kissing, hugging, walking together holding hands, in summary: acting as a couple. _Damn!_

'You followed us?' He asked shocked

'Perhaps' Mia replied

Chris ignored her and looked at Will. _How dare you Will! We share almost a year together! How dare you to do this to me? _

'Why Will?' He asked wounded

'I love you Chris' Will answered in self-defense

'Do you expect me to believe that what you're saying is true after all of this shit? This is not love Will! How dare you! I thought you were different!' Chris yelled angry, but carefully not to draw any attention to the table.

'All is fair in love and war...' Will replied sarcastically

Chris rolled his eyes and tried to think for a minute. _If I burn all of this, then they'll have nothing and I can be with Darren forever! Don't be an idiot! Of course all of this are copies they're not that stupid!  
_

'If you want, you can keep that…we have copies of everything and some videos too…do you want to see them?' Mia asked

'No, this is enough…' _Fuck! Videos? Damn!  
_

'Well, that's a shame cause they are pretty hot, don't you think Will? Those kisses at Adam's party were very passionate! I almost believed they were true' She added sarcastically

Chris blushed. He felt exposed, insecure and betrayed, but he didn't want them to see him weak so he looked at them with hard eyes.

'How dare you! Why are you doing this?' He asked

'Will already answered you that! All is fair is love and war...'

Chris rolled his eyes.

'Chris, what are you going to do?' Will asked

_What am I going to do? Do I have options? I hate you! I fucking hate you both!_

'I need time…' he said

'We don't have time' Mia replied

'Darren is not a fool Mia, he is not going to believe that I just stopped loving him in one day…these things take time, they can't be done from one day to another…'

'How long?' They both asked

'Two months…' Chris answered trying to win as long as possible

'It's a lot of time...'

'One month...?' Chris suggested

_Just one month…_

Mia and Will looked at each other. They had already won this battle, so a little more time would not affect them much.

'Okay…one month, but by June you'll have to be done with him or we're going to…'

'...Show everything to the press and ruin our careers…I get it!' Chris added sounding sarcastic and tired

'Good boy…' Mia said smiling triumphantly

'It's the best for everybody Chris…you'll see it's the best' Will added

Chris rolled his eyes. He was tired of all this shenanigans and wanted to leave pronto.

'I hope you two are happy now…you're ruining the lives of those whom you claim to love! You're a shame to human beings and I'm glad I have nothing to do with any of you!' Chris said getting up from the table and taking the folder with him.

He was in furious. Every part of his body was on fire, he was angry and wounded, so before he left he turned around and added in a harsh voice

'Will…if you really thought that after all of this crap, I'd be with you again, I think you don't know me at all! I don't want to see you ever again! For me you're dead…and you too Mia! By the way…good luck trying to seduce a gay man…' he added

Chris walked away toward the door; his eyes were like two huge storm clouds. _Be brave! Don't let them see you cry!_ He reached his car, started the engine and left the place crying like a baby.

o-o-o-o-o

He drove for almost half an hour without stopping. He pulled over next to a park and wiped his tears. He took out his phone and dialed the only number he thought would never be calling in a lifetime.

'Ricky?'

'Yes! Who is it?'

'I'm Chris…Chris Colfer…'

'Oh Hi Chris…How are you?'

'Fine…I need to talk to you'

'I have a meeting in a few more minutes…'

'Please Ricky! It won't take long…It's an emergency! It's about Darren…please!'

'Is he okay?' He asked worried

'Yes, he's fine…in fact he doesn't know I'm taking to you right now…I need to speak with you alone…please? it's really an emergency!'

Ricky hesitated for a minute, but Chris's voice sounded serious, so he agreed.

'Okay…I'll cancel the meeting, where are you now?'

'On my way to your office'

'Okay…I'll wait here'

'Okay, see you soon...and please don't call Darren...'

'Okay'

o-o-o-o-o

Chris ran as fast the traffic allowed him and arrived at Ricky's office almost at 4pm. He only had one hour left before Darren called him to see what was the plan for the day. He knew he had to hurry, the clock was ticking.

'Hi Chris'

'Hi Ricky…I know you're confused and probably thinking that I'm crazy, but once I tell you everything, you will understand. Where can we speak privately?'

'Let's go to my office…' He said guiding Chris toward a door down the hall.

They entered the not so familiar small office. This was the second time Chris had been there. The first time was when they had discussed Darren's contract. Now the circumstances were completely different.

'Anna, please clear my schedule for two hours, and please do not bother me. If someone comes looking for me please tell them I'm in the middle of a very important meeting' Ricky asked his assistant

'Yes sir...' said the voice in the speaker

Chris was looking at Ricky with impatient eyes, so Ricky cleared his throat and said:

'Well, What can I do for you?'

'Don't worry, I know you're busy, so I'm not going to steal you so much time. I promise it won't take long…First I need to ask you one thing: How's everything with Darren's album?'

'I don't know how much you know about it' Ricky answered evasive

'I like to believe that I know everything. We don't have secrets, he said there were still some things missing to start recording…a couple of arrangements that needed to be done, but it was almost ready…'

'I'm afraid it's in the same state…I still have to get some sponsorship, but I believe in 4 weeks or so we could start celebrating…'

'Okay…well in that case I need you to help me…'

'Okay…with what?' Ricky asked curious

'I need you to help me to break up with him' Chris said

'What?' Ricky asked in disbelief, he was expecting a very different kind of help

'You heard me…I need you to help me break up with him'

'Yes I heard that, but why? I don't understand'

'It's hard to explain, but I think it's the best for him' Chris added

'Look Chris…if this is because of the whole contract thing don't worry, it's going to be over soon. Maybe I've been delaying things a bit because of the album, but as soon as we started recording everything is going to settle for the best…I know you've been very patient and supportive, and maybe I'm asking for too much, but just give me 2 or 3 months more and I promise you that everything will be over…'

'Ricky…I know things are complicated, that's why I think this is the right thing to do'

'Well, believe me or not, I don't agree with you. I know I've not acted as the captain of this ship, but I've never seen Darren so happy…I just need time! You better than anyone know how this works…'

'Ricky…listen! I don't have time! Someone's blackmailing me!' Chris replied desperately

'WHAT?'

'They threatened me with some videos and photos of Darren and me! If I don't leave him in less than a month, they'll ruin our careers…'

'Who's doing that?' Ricky asked clearly stunned

'That doesn't matter, they have a lot of information and they are serious about this. They know about the NDA clauses in Darren's album contract and they're using that information to force me to leave him…I just have a month to do it or they are going to publish everything'

'What?' Ricky snapped

'They know a lot about us and I'm not going to let them ruin his career, so I need your help...'

'Wait! Are you willing to give up on him just so he can continue with his career?'

'Yes!'

Ricky became silent for a moment. He was thinking hard, very hard if we judge the frown on his forehead.

'You really love him, don't you?' he asked

'With my whole heart, he's my life and I don't want him to lose everything just because some stupid people can't stand love…'

'People? I though it was just one person'

'As far as I know they're just two'

'Tell me who they are and maybe I can do something in the legal way…I can claim that everything is fake, we can arrange other pictures so the ones they have seem fake'

'They're real Ricky! They have been following us! There's no way we can prove other way'

'WHAT?' Ricky asked shocked. This was more serious than he originally imagined.

'I have a copy here…look' Chris said handing him the folder

Ricky opened it cautiously and gasp in shock. Of course there was no way to deny the photos were nothing but real.

'And you say they have some videos too?' He asked still shocked

'Yes…'

'Did you see them?'

'No, I think this was enough...but they told me when they recorded them...'

'When?'

'At Adam's party...'

'Okay, don't tell me the details, I can imagine what you two were doing. Darren's been talking about how fun and exciting was Adam's party the whole week! And you're right! I cannot claim that this are false…they look too real…'

'Of course they look real, because they are real! Now you understand why I need to do this?'

'I do…but'

'So…will you help me?'

'I don't know…' Ricky answered hesitant

'Ricky please! I'm just asking you to help me with some things…I'll take care of the rest…'

'He loves you' Ricky replied confused

'I know, and I love him too…and maybe later when we can get rid of the contract and we have recovered the pictures, I can tell him the truth and perhaps he can forgive me, but for now I need to do what is right for him and for us…'

'I don't think is the right thing for any of you, he loves you and you're sacrificing yourself for everyone including me'

'I know that if things were the other way around, he'd be doing the same'

'Well yes, I'm sure he'd be doing exactly the same, but...'

'Please Ricky! I need you...'

'He'll be shattered'

'I know, that's why I need you! You're the only one that can help him'

'Help him? How?'

'Yes! By helping him to forget about me, so he can focus on his album'

'I don't know if I can…I do care about him…'

'Exactly because you do care about him, you need to help me! We can't tell him any of this, you know how he'll react. He is going to throw everything away and that's not fair! He has worked so hard for this album! He deserves it! We can't let them ruin his career…I know you never were our favorite fan, so I believe this is not going to be so hard for you…just keep him busy and when he try to tell you about me acting weird, well just ignore him and keep him busy while I make him hate me…'

'Chris…what you're asking is not easy…'

'I know, but you agree with me that this is what we need to do...right?'

'I don't know, everything seems complicated right now, but maybe we can find a solution. Give me some time to think of an escape route. I know he's in love with you and you love him too, there must be some way to resolve this without harming any of you. And you're right, as his manager I have not been your favorite fan because I knew the consequences of this relationship and was worried about his career and my job, but as his friend I've always been happy to see him like this, he's so happy that sometimes I think he is going to explode' Ricky added

'There's no other solution Ricky…we both know what the contract says about this…'

'I know, but...'

'Then help me! Darren is so close to get his album that all of this seems unfair and think about other thing...your job is in jeopardy too'

Ricky hesitated for a minute and then nodded.

'Okay I'll try to help you…I can't promise you anything right now, let me hear your plan first, so I can choose what's best for all of us, okay?'

'Okay! We finished filming Glee on Wednesday so we'll have more "free time", I'm going to take him on a surprise trip this weekend as a goodbye, and as soon as we come back I'll begin acting weird'

'Acting weird?'

'Yes! I'll push him away from me. I'm going to ignore him, tell him I'm busy and stuff like that until he gets tired of me and made the decision to dump me. Because to be quite honest, I don't think I have the courage to leave him'

'You do know he's going to confront you about it sooner or later, don't you? He's not going to give up on you that easily…'

'I know, but I'll worry about that when the time comes…'

'As you wish...'

'Are you going to help me or not?'

'Yes, I'll help…what do I need to do?'

'Just keep him busy…try to get him as many events as you can and once he has dumped me don't leave him alone…'

'Okay…but what if he doesn't dump you? You're counting on him to do it, but to be honest I don't think he's going to do so. I already told you, I had never seen him like this, he really loves you...'

'Then I'll dump him...'

'Okay...so, is that all?'

'For now yes, if I change the plan or something, you'll be the first to know'

'Okay, I'll help you! I'll do everything I can to keep him busy'

'Thanks…'

'One more thing Chris…can you tell me who's blackmailing you?'

'It doesn't matter' Chris replied evasive

'Of course it does! if you want this to work I need to know with whom we're fighting…it's important'

Chris hesitated for a minute and reluctantly answered

'Mia and Will…'

'WHAT?' Ricky yelled stunned 'Mia! As Mia Swier? And who the hell is Will?'

'Yes Mia Swier! And Will is my ex boyfriend. They both kind of became friends a few weeks ago and planned this whole thing…you can guess they can talk with the press if they want, after all they're reliable sources…'

'Fuck!'

'I know…'

'I can't believe this! Mia? really?'

'Yes and Will…who'd have thought it'

'I can't believe it!'

'Believe it, cause it's true...'

'Chris, I'm really sorry about all of this…I really am…I know you think I don't like the idea of you two together, but it's not that. I was just doing my job. Personally I like you, I really like you! You're a wonderful, talented and sweet guy and Darren is so happy with you, that right now I cannot start to imagine how he's going to react when you leave him…cause I'm quite sure he's not going to dump you. I'm sure he'll fight till the end!'

'Thanks Ricky! I know you were just doing your job and I also know that you only want the best for him. That's why I decided to talk to you…nobody else knows about any of this. I'm going to tell Ashley, my friend, 'cause I really need someone to help me get through this, I can't do this alone! But apart from her, this is going to be a secret between you and me…'

'Okay I'll do my best to try to help you'

'Thanks'

'Chris, I can't even start to tell you how sorry I am for all of this, I know this decision you're making has been very difficult for you and I wish I could do something to help you too. Unfortunately this is out of my league, I promise I'll try to find another solution and hopefully be able to find it, so we don't have to use your plan. Regardless of that, I want to thank you on his behalf for what you're doing for him. That only proves how much you love him and don't worry, even if I can't find a solution, I know that later he will forgive you and all of this is going to be just a bad dream…and you two are going to start dating again, without worrying about press, cause you'll be free to tell the world about your love...'

'Perhaps...'

'You two love each other madly and I'm sure you will come out of this. As a married man I can tell you that love conquers all the battles, even the ones that at first sight seemed impossible'

'I really hope so, though I'm going to be happy if he is happy, with or without me…'

Ricky stared at Chris for several minutes. The way he was looking at Chris was different than before, he was more sympathetic with him and there was a hint of parental care in his eyes.

'I know this is going to sound weird but…can I give you a hug?' Ricky asked

'Of course'

Ricky hugged him, and Chris had to fight the tears that were returning to his eyes again. _I need to be strong! It's for him!_

'I guess I'll see you around' Chris said trying to get out of the office as soon as it was possible

'See you around' Ricky replied

Chris left the office and drove back home crying the whole time. _How am I going to do this?_

o-o-o-o-o

Darren called him when he was just arriving to his home. He took out the phone and answered smiling trying to put aside his pain.

'Hello beautiful' Darren said

'Hello beautiful yourself…'

'Where are you?'

'Arriving home…and you?'

'Leaving the set…and on my way to your house'

'Perfect'

'See you in awhile…love you!'

'Love you too'

Chris rushed into his house and fired up his laptop. He had to arrange everything for his weekend surprise trip and farewell to Darren. He searched for exotic, private and romantic places near California and decided to book a 5 day trip with all expenses paid to a place near Mexico. With everything ready and booked, he waited Darren to arrive home. His heart and mind had a new purpose: to enjoy his last happy days with the love of his life…

* * *

**This is the end of this sad chapter! I'm sorry! I know this doesn't sound good, but I promise everything will get better! Thanks again for everything!  
**

**PD: Someone reported the story because it was about real people, so if FF delete it, don't worry. I just save all the usernames of all of you who are following (or fav) the story, if I have to upload it again I'll send you a PM to let you know when it's published (maybe I'll have to use some pseudonyms to the names, but let's not rush into anything, after all the story is still here, but I wanted you to know just in case). Thanks for the support. XOXOXO  
**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello dear readers! First of: Thanks for all the kind words about the story. I love you all! (I already replied to your reviews) Don't worry I'll keep you posted about the "report", meanwhile here's chapter 9! Before you start reading I want to warn you that this chapter is not about flowers, butterflies and rainbows. It's a bit sad, so I hope you like it! As always, if you're not a CC shipper please don't bother reading this. (and if you're reading it and you don't like CC, then do not send me hate! You're the masochist, not me ;) )**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Chris, Darren or any of the persons mentioned in this story. This story IS NOT REAL, it's just a figment of my imagination with NO HARM INTENDED!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 9**

This last month had been the worst time in Chris's life. After their dreamy goodbye weekend at Cabo, Chris had begun acting weird just as he had said he would. Darren had asked him several times if everything was fine and Chris had answered him every single time with the same thing: O_f course Dare! Why wouldn't it be?_ Chris, with some help from his own PR people and Ashley had managed to stay away from Darren as much as was possible, and Ricky had helped him by keeping Darren busy almost every weekend.

o-o-o-o-o

Chris's original plan had failed and Darren hadn't dumped him yet. Chris was worried cause he knew that now, thanks to Daren's never ending faith, he would have to do it, he knew he would have to break up with him sooner or later. The month that Chris had asked to work things out had flown quickly and without realizing it, May was coming to an end. With each passing day Chris was more distant from Darren and was trying hard to avoid him at all costs. The task hadn't been easy, Chris had fought hard to keep the facade intact on certain days such as May 27, his birthday. That day Chris had had a very difficult time trying to keep his poker face and he hadn't succeeded.

'Happy birthday to you…Happy birthday to you...happy birthday my lover, happy birthday to you...' Darren sang to Chris to wake him in the morning

Chris opened his eyes to discover that his whole room was covered with heart balloons and Darren was smiling expectantly across the bed. His eyes were looking at Chris with endless love.

'OMG! What's all this?' Chris asked stunned

'Just a common good morning surprise for my boyfriend to wish him the happiest birthday ever' Darren answered smiling broadly

Chris's heart and mind were having a war, again._ Oh my god! This is beautiful! I love this man with all my heart! Chris! Stop it! Remember that you have only 4 days before everything ends…you must keep the charade! Don't hesitate now...you're doing this is for him…You can do it! _

'Do you liked it?' Darren asked, impatient as ever

'Yes, thank you…it's...nice' _Nice? Really? It's BEAUTIFUL! I LOVE YOU! _Chris thought. _How am I supposed to survive this day if you keep doing things like this? I need to let you go..._

'I made you some breakfast too…do you want to eat here or at the table?'

'At the table…' Chris replied quickly. He knew Darren wouldn't be able to resist the urge to feed him and one thing could lead to another and he was trying to avoid any type of physical contact with him.

'Okay…everything for the birthday boy! Today I'm at your command...well, technically I'm always at your command, but today is kind of official...'

'Thank you…' Chris said smiling subtly

'You're so welcome…and before you start with the same shenanigans about work let me warn you something. You better prepare yourself! Today there are no excuses sir! I already kidnap your phone, so you'll not get rid of me that easy! I called your family and they said they would call your house or my phone, so don't even bother to ask me where is hidden! I won't tell you until tomorrow! Also don't worry about Alla, I already talked to her, so you can't use her as an excuse. I leave you with no other choice but to surrender to celebrate your birthday with me!'

'Okay I give up! No work for today...' Chris said shrugging.

'And by the way, I invited Hannah to the party on Saturday…'

'You what? Why did you have to invite her? Now I can't miss the party! I told you I didn't want a party in the first place and now you invited my sister?' Chris said rolling his eyes widely

'Well…let's say I didn't listen you and you're going to have a party on Saturday, like it or not, though I'm sure you're going to love it! and don't try to fool me my love, I know your sister is important for you, so smile and just thank me'

Chris rolled his eyes again.

'Thank you, though I'm not thrilled about that party...'

'You'll be…I know you hate surprises, but this one is going to be totally awesome! I already have our costumes ready and I'm sure you'll love them too'

Chris rolled his eyes but smiled apologetically. He was heartbroken, Darren was a wonderful man and the best boyfriend ever and Chris wanted to hug him and make love to him, but he could not. He needed to be brave and enjoy the little moments he had left with him, even if he had to behave like a jerk.

o-o-o-o-o

Saturday 31st...

Chris and Darren were at Chris's house preparing themselves to go to the party together. Ashley, along with Darren, had arranged the whole party; it was a masquerade ball theme celebration. Darren had specifically requested two matching costumes, one with a half black mask and another with a half white mask. Chris tried hard to hide his smile as soon as he saw the costumes, but he couldn't help it. He was happy, so he opted to forget about Will and Mia at least during the whole party.

'Do you liked it?' Darren asked while Chris was changing in the bathroom

'Yes! It's awesome! Thank you!' Chris yelled back

'Does it fit?'

'Yes perfectly...I'm almost ready'

'Okay...I'm waiting, I want to see you...hurry up'

Darren was already dressed up with his black costume and was waiting impatiently at Chris's bed. Chris walked out the bathroom and Darren's jaw dropped at the sight of his beautiful boyfriend.

'What do you think?' Chris asked

'Well, I think you're the most stunning man in the whole fucking planet! That's what I think!'

'Thank you...' Chris answered warmly

'White is definitely your color...you look stunning with that white mask…like an angel...my angel'

_Oh my! Why Darren? Why do you have to be so fucking charming? You make everything even harder!_

'Thank you! You too look stunning in that black costume…' _Like a dark knight! A dark prince! My prince!_

'Well, I though about the ying-yang reference that I'm always giving you and thought it would be a good idea to use it today…hidden in our "best-friends" matching costumes'

_OMG! How could I resist to this man? You can't you idiot! that's why you're smiling like a fool right now!_

'Thank you' Chris said unable to hide his smile

Darren came up and kissed him sweetly. Chris took advantage of the proximity and kissed him back deeply. It was the first time since Cabo that he had kissed him like that. The kiss was intense, deep. Chris thought of it as a goodbye kiss, so he tried to make it last forever.

_Never forget I love you! Please never forget about this kiss! Please Dare..._

'Wow…you hadn't kissed me like that in a very long time…I've missed those lips…' Darren said

Chris just smiled. He knew this was the end, their final kiss.

_And I'll never do it again..._

'I love you' Darren added

_I love you too_

'Come on! let's go! We're late!' Chris said. Darren shrugged and followed him out of the room.

o-o-o-o-o

The party was a success. Everything was beautiful and everyone was having so much fun, including Chris who had successfully achieved to leave Will and Mia away from his mind for a few hours.

'Are you having fun?' Darren asked

'Yes thank you! This is the most wonderful party ever!'

'Anything for you!'

'Thanks...'

'Hey guys! it's time to cut the cake!' Ashley yelled

'Cake?' Chris asked Darren

'It's not a party without a cake...'

'But this parties never have cake...'

'Yours will have...come!'

o-o-o-o-o

They gathered around a huge elaborated and fancy three stories' cake. Darren gave Chris a knife and everyone started singing the happy birthday song while Chris was smiling broadly.

'Make a wish' Ashley suggested

Chris closed his eyes and with all his heart wish upon the candle lights.

_Please! Please! Please! I just wish to have the strength to let him go! And maybe if it's not too much to ask, I wish he can forgive me, maybe not right away but someday...Please! Please! Please!_

Chris cut the cake and everyone clapped enthusiastically. Darren was smiling at him with heart eyes, as always.

o-o-o-o-o

When the party came to an end, Chris and Darren drove back together to Chris's house. As soon as they had left the party Chris's face had changed, he was sad because he knew his time with Darren was ending and although he tried to hide it, he didn't succeed.

'Are you okay?' Darren asked worried

'Yes, just tired…let's go to sleep, okay?' Chris suggested. They had just arrived at his house.

'Okay'

They went to Chris's room and lay down on the bed. Darren immediately spooned Chris and kissed him in the neck.

'I hope you have enjoyed your birthday party…I love you so much!'

'Yes! It was awesome, thank you Dare…for everything' _I love you more_

'You're welcome...now sleep my love…I know you're tired…I love you'

_I love you too._

Chris didn't respond and pretended to be asleep. Darren kissed Chris's neck again and squeezed him tightly. A single tear ran down on Chris's face. _I'm not ready to say goodbye..._

o-o-o-o-o

On Sunday morning Chris woke up alarmed by the sound of his phone. Darren was still fast asleep beside him. He unlocked the screen and with sleepy eyes tried to read the message

M: Tick! Tock! Tick! Tock! Tick! Tock!

Chris rolled his eyes and stood up. That subtle reminder about his imminent fate had fully awakened him. He needed some air, so he went to the living room to try to think. He knew his time was up and that he'd have to break up with Darren that day, but deep down he was trying hard to delay everything until it was inevitable. He stayed at the kitchen table just thinking about everything and trying to find a way to do it when Darren came out from the room.

'Good morning beautiful' He said enthusiastically as always

'Good morning' he replied using the same tone he had been using for the past 4 weeks

'My head hurts' Darren said

'There's some Advil on the first drawer in the bathroom' Chris replied

'Thanks I'll go to get some'

o-o-o-o-o

Chris poured some coffee and contemplated his possibilities for a minute. He had no time; he had to do it today_…but how? I know it's hard to say goodbye to someone, but to your boyfriend? to the love of your life? How do you do that? How am I going to do that? How can I say: I don't love you? Those words are wrong. I'm sure they are not even grammatically correct. Why didn't you break up with me Dare? Things would have been easier!_

Chris stayed there thinking in several ways to approach Darren. After a while Darren came out from the master room, he was already dressed and showered. Chris was still thinking at the table with his coffee untouched.

'Is everything okay? You're more thoughtful than usual' Darren asked

'Yeah, I'm fine' Chris answered automatically

'You looked weird…do you want me to give you some Advil too? I can make breakfast too if you're hungry…we're still celebrating your 24th birthday' He said smiling.

_Weird?_ Chris thought. _I'm not weird…I'm worried. How am I going to tell you I don't love you if every time you look at me I melt?_

'No thank you…I'm fine…and I'm not hungry'

'Are you sure? I can make some light brunch or anything'

Chris remained silent. _It's time Chris! Do it! Do it!_

'No, I already told you I'm not hungry, though…I'm worried' He finally said

'Worried? About what?' Darren asked trying to sit on Chris's legs, but Chris stood up immediately

Darren looked at him wounded and asked:

'What's going on Chris? You know I respect your privacy, but you're driving me crazy! Since we came back from Cabo you have been acting distant. You don't let me touch you anymore and you're always busy or away doing who knows what! We have not even had sex since then! Did I do something wrong? I know I've asked you this like a thousand times before but…is everything all right?'

Chris remained silent again. _It's now or never Chris…you need to do this!_

He swallowed slowly before answering and squeezed his heart to fight the tears that were threatening to fall down:

'I think is happening again…'

'What?' Darren asked confused

'I'm bored…' He answered slowly.

Chris knew the effect of those words. Darren more than anyone knew what "I'm bored" really meant.

Darren stayed motionless. He was trying to understand the meaning of those words but nothing was coming to his mind.

'Bored? Of what? Of whom? Of us?' he asked in disbelief

'Yes…' Chris managed to answer.

_No! Forget it please! I love you! Don't listen to me! I'm crazy! I love you!_

'Why?' Darren asked puzzled, his voice sounded wounded

'I don't know' Chris shrugged

_Please Dare! Don't listen to me! Please my love! I love you!_

'Is it because of the stupid contract? I know this has taken too long and although I care about my album I care more about you, you're the most important part of my life. I can get rid of it right now if you want. I haven't done it yet because we agreed that we could wait, but if you want me to do it, I can do it now…I don't fucking care about the consequences, I just want us to be okay…'

'Is none of that! I don't care about the contract…is not about you either. It's me…I'm the problem! I think I'm not meant to spend my life with someone, maybe I'm more "to be alone" material...perhaps I was born to be by myself…'

'What?' Darren asked confused

'I'm sorry Darren, but I need to tell you something, and maybe you're not gonna like it, but I think this is not working for me anymore…'

'Wait! Wait! Wait! Are you suggesting we should break up?' Darren asked shocked

_NO! OF COURSE NOT! I LOVE YOU DON'T YOU SEE? Please look me in the eyes…I love you!_

'Yes…' Chris answered almost in a whisper

Darren dropped his full weight into the nearest chair. He was feeling dizzy. His world was crumbling down. They remained silent, Darren trying to understand the mess and Chris trying to gain some courage to let him go.

o-o-o-o-o

'I need time Darren…I'm not sure about us anymore…I don' know what happened, but I'm being honest…I really need time' Chris lied

'But I love you…' Darren said, his voice sounded completely broken

_I LOVE YOU TOO…that's why I'm doing this! Please! Please! Forgive me!_

'I know you love me…that's why all of this is even harder…' _and believe me I love you too! But they want to destroy us and I can't let that happen, because I LOVE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART._

'Don't you love me?' Darren asked confused

_YES! With all my heart_! _Don't you see?_

'I don't know…' Chris hesitated.

_Chris! Be brave! You're doing this for him…Do it! Tell him you don't love him!_

'No, I don't….' he finally managed to say

'WHAT?' Darren asked shocked

'I don't love you…' Chris repeated. Every word was like a knife being stuck into his heart

'I don't believe you'

_Oh! Dare…please don't believe me…I'm so sorry…I love you. Please forgive me!_

'It's the truth…I've been thinking about this for too long and I think that what we have was wrong since the beginning...'

'Why?' Darren whispered

'I don't know, maybe the two of us just wanted to fulfill the expectations of others…'

'What are you talking about? Expectations? Of whom?'

'I don't know…our Glee characters, our PR people, our fans…I really don't know, I'm confused! I'm trying to make this easier for you and that's the only thing that's coming to my mind right now...'

'Okay Chris…I think you're acting insane, perhaps you're over analyzing everything as always. Let's pretend none of this happened and let's start all over again, okay? we can talk about your boredom issues and fix them...' Darren said trying to make sense to all this nonsense

'I can't pretend none of this happened…I can't do that'

'Try it! I know this thing is just a slump. You just need to stop thinking everything over and over again and we'll be okay'

'I can't! I'm sorry'

_I need to do this! It's for you!_

'Chris please! Try it! I love you…can you do that for us? for our love...?'

_I wish I could do it! I wish none of this had happened! I LOVE YOU Dare...I'm sorry, please forgive me for what am I about to say..._

'I can't do that, cause there's no "us" anymore...I don't love you…' Chris said and his heart broke into a million of tiny pieces.

Darren began to cry. He was lost. Chris hesitated but remained still. _This is the right thing to do! This is the right thing to do! This is the right thing to do! This is the right thing to do! _He was repeating those words on his mind over an over again trying to gain some strength from them.

'Please don't cry…I don't want to hurt you…what we had was beautiful, but I don't feel the same for you than before…'

_I love you even more! Can't you see that? Please don't cry! Please don't cry! I love you!_

Darren looked at him with his teary eyes and Chris almost lost control. He almost told him the whole truth. For a brief small moment he thought about confessing him everything: the blackmailing, his meetings with Mia & Will and his plan, but he bit his tongue.

'I don't believe you' Darren said sobbing

'You need to…' Chris said. That was the truth. Darren needed to believe that everything was truth.

'I can't believe you…every moment, every kiss, every "I love you" was true, it was real…I'm sure about that. You can't make me believe they were not…I felt them!'

_OMG! Of course they were all true…_

'At the moment they were all true, I don't want you to believe otherwise, but now they are not...I don't feel the same Darren...'

'Why? Why? I don't understand! You whispered just a few days ago while you were sleeping that you loved me…what happened? What changed in less than 5 days? Please tell me. I need to know!' Darren exclaimed crying desperately

_OMG! Of course I did it…because I still love you…I'll always love you_

'This is not new Darren, this didn't happen in 5 days, or 2 or 10! I've been thinking about this for a very long time…nothing changed and nothing happened. I already told you, it's not you, it's me and well, I don't have control about my night-talking, but I can tell you that anything I could have said, doesn't count because I was unconscious and now I'm not…and well…consciously I'm not in love with you, I don't love you anymore…'

'I don't believe you' Darren repeated

'Then I'm afraid that's going to be your problem…you can pretend you do not believe me, but the truth is this…I don't love you'

_Please! Forgive me! I do love you! I love you with all my heart! Forgive me!_

Darren sobbed. He was lost. He didn't want to lose him, he felt like dying.

'I made you a promise…and I'm going to keep it' Darren said still crying, but his voice sounded firm and determined.

_What?_ _What promise?_

'What promise?' Chris asked

'A month or so ago, you made me promise that I'd never forget that you loved me…I'm not gonna break that promise…I'll always believe in our love' Darren said crying.

_OMG! _Chris wanted to cry, his eyes were full with water. He remembered that day too; it was the day he had called Mia to let her know he wanted to see everything before accepting any deal.

'A month or so ago I didn't know I would stop loving you…please Darren don't make this even harder…It hurts okay?' He said crying a little. It was hard to keep the tears from falling.

'I care for you deeply Darren, you're my friend…and seeing you like this, all broken, is killing me. But believe me, is the right thing to do…' He said sounding brave, after all he was telling the truth. _It's the right thing to do!_

'I don't believe you…I can't believe you!'

'But it is the right thing to do! Perhaps someday you'll understand everything…'

'I don't think so…the only thing I understand is that I love you and I don't want to lose you…the best part of me is you and I can't lose that…I can't lose you'

_You're never going to lose me! I'm yours forever! Please forgive me..._

'But I don't love you! Please try to understand…'

Every time he repeated those words, they came out from his mouth easier, not less painful, but they were definitely easier to pronounce.

'I still don't believe you…'

'Darren please…let's act like adults, okay? I don't want to be with you…'

Darren stopped sobbing and looked at Chris directly in the eyes. His eyes were shocked, hurt and sad, very sad.

'Is there someone else? Is it that? Are you in love with someone else?'

'No! of course I'm not' Chris exclaimed quickly

Darren's gaze fell again to think for a minute and then looked at Chris again. This time Darren's eyes were confident, still teary, but there was a hint of determination in them.

'Look me in the eyes and tell me you don't love me' He said

Chris hesitated for a second. _Crap! How?_ He swallowed slowly and giving his best performance so far he answered briefly.

'I do not love you' Chris said every word slowly trying to give them some meaning.

He was not sure if he had succeeded. Darren exhaled slowly, stood up and walked to the door. Chris was motionless. _Did he believe me? Just like that? Am I that good at acting?_

'You know Chris? Despite the fact that we've just been together as a couple for a few months, we have been friends for almost 5 years now and I'm sorry, but I still don't believe you. I know those beautiful blue eyes like my own soul…I know you're lying, I'm sure you're lying! You're a terrible, terrible liar. I'll come back later to talk…okay? I think you need some space to think…I'll go to my house and I'll return here in a couple of hours. Maybe then we can solve things up...'

Chris felt panic. He was sure as hell that he'd not be able to stay strong for another encounter with Darren. He needed to say something to make him believe he was telling the truth, so without thinking too much in the consequences he yelled.

'There's nothing else to say Darren! I don't need space! I just need you to go and never come back! I don't want to be with you anymore! This is over! You cannot force me to be with you just because you claim to know me! Yes, we know each other for a very long time, but people change Darren! I'm not the same naive boy you once met! I've changed! This is hard because despite all, I still care for you as an old friend, but I really don't want to see you until I have to! I'm tired of you…I'm tired of us! not just as a couple but as friends too…I know we still have to work on the last season of Glee, but after that, I have the intention to never see you again…I know you don't want to hear this, but it's over! We cannot be a couple nor friends…you better understand it…it's sad, but it's the truth. When all of this began I told you that the whole picture was wrong and you didn't believe me…maybe it's time for you to open your eyes, cause I already did it and I realized that I was right since then…you're the biggest mistake of my life!' the words wounded Chris deeply and he knew they'd hurt Darren too.

'Do you really believe that I am your biggest mistake? You're tired of me? Of us? You don't want to see me ever again?' Darren asked; his voice sounded wounded and broken.

_NO! Why can't you read between lines? I love you! Please try to remember every time I told you that! How can you believe me?_

'YES…I wasn't sure then, but now I am sure…you're my biggest mistake ever and yes! I'm tired of you and I don't want to see you again…I didn't expect things to be like this, I was planning to make it slowly, to remain being your long-distant friend, but you leave me with no option. You don't want to understand that I don't love you, then the only solution is to finish this thing between us for good…I don't want to see you again!'

Darren's eyes were lost. Tears were running down his face and he looked broken.

'…I didn't expect to hear that...' Darren said and opened the door slowly. 'I love you Chris, I will always love you…for me there's no one else and you know that. My heart and soul are yours forever…take care of them for me please…and don't worry I'll not bother you anymore...you'll see me only if it's strictly necessary…I don't understand what happened with us, but I'll respect your decision…I wish I could see into your heart and mind to know what's happening or what happened, but I can't. I thought I knew you, but the Chris that I know would never think of us as a mistake and certainly he would never told me those horrible words…I hope you're sure about this, cause you're throwing away our future together...'

'Please just go...'

'...Bye Chris'

_DON'T GO! I LOVE YOU…PLEASE! I'M SORRY DARREN! I LOVE YOU! DON'T GO! PLEASE FORGIVE ME! I DON'T WANT TO LOSE YOU! YOU DO KNOW ME! WE'RE NOT A MISTAKE! PLEASE FORGIVE ME!_

Darren closed the door and Chris began to cry desperately. He had lost Darren and he was sure it was forever.

o-o-o-o-o

He cried without stopping for some minutes. After a while he took out his phone and texted Mia.

C: It's over. I just broke up with him  
M: Well done Chris! We're proud of you! We knew you'd do the right thing; after all you're a smart guy…  
C: I want every copy of the pictures and videos you two have!  
M: Maybe later, but for now I cannot do that…they're our assurance Chris. We're not that stupid!  
C: Don't play with me Mia! You still don't know what I'm capable of. If I agreed to all this shit was because I love Darren. But I warn you: I want every fucking video and picture ASAP! Do you understand? And one more thing…just so you know despite everything you did, he's not going to be with you! ever! HE LOVES ME! Even when I said the most horrible and awful things he walked out repeating how much he loved me...and sadly you'll have to deal with that for the rest of your stupid and lonely life! He'll always be mine! He loves me forever and just like I told you the last time we saw each other: Good luck trying to seduce a gay man!  
M: Awwwww you're mad! I get it! But don't worry, the pain will cease…Time heals all wounds. Do you want me to send Will to make you some company? I'm sure he can cheer you up! :)  
C: You two can go to hell and fuck yourselves there! I don't want to see any of you EVER AGAIN! SCREW YOU!  
M: ;)

o-o-o-o-o

He cried for almost half an hour without stopping. His heart was broken; his soul was gone, but he needed to call Ricky, so he took some courage and after a while called him to let him know the plan was done.

'Chris?' Ricky answered immediately

'Hi Ricky' he answered sobbing

'You did it…didn't you?'

'Yes…'

'Darren just called a few minutes ago, I couldn't understand a word he said…he's crying, he sounded really bad…I think he's on his way'

'Oh! Ricky it was harder than I thought, but we both know it was the best thing for him…just try to calm him down and keep him busy…it's all yours now…'

'I'm sorry Chris, I really am. I feel awful…I know I could have done something more for you two a few months ago, but I was selfish and I'm so sorry…'

'The past is in the past…now we need to focus on him…well... you need to focus on him. He's mad and I'm sure he hates me right now, I told him terrible things, so please don't leave him alone…you need to promise me that!'

'I promise! But…are you all right? Do you want me to send someone or need me to call anybody?'

'No thanks, I'll be fine…it's just that I wasn't prepared to let him go…'

'Are you sure about this? Maybe we can tell him everything and…'

'No! We both know him! He's going to throw away everything and he's so close to have it all, that this sacrifice seems small compared to the feeling of seeing him succeed...'

'But you two love each other...'

'I know and I hope that in time he can forgive me…'

'He will...'

'I just hope that when the time comes, it's not too late'

'Don't worry Chris, I just had a meeting and I'm trying to rush everything, so we can get rid of the contract as soon as possible...'

'Thanks…take care of him for me please…and goodbye Ricky'

'I'll do…Bye Chris. If you need anything don't hesitate to call'

'Thanks...bye'

He hung up and stayed motionless for a while. His whole body was suddenly heavy; he felt dizzy and the room was spinning. The tears had ceased, but his heart felt empty, lifeless. He sat down at the couch and called Ashley.

'It's done Ash…' he said breathlessly as soon as she picked up the phone

'OMG Chris! Don't worry honey! I'm on my way…I'm sorry, I really am…I'm running to my car right now…please don't do anything stupid! I'll be there in less than 10 minutes…just 10 minutes please'

'I'm not feeling okay Ash…please hurry up…I feel weird, my head is heavy and everything is spinning...I think I'm going to…' Chris fainted.

'Chris? Chris? Chris? Are you okay? Chris? Chris? Fuck!' Ashley yelled but Chris was already unconscious lying on the couch.

o-o-o-o-o

The door was open when Ashley arrived. Thankfully, Chris hadn't locked it after Darren had left. She hurried into the house and saw Chris unconscious on the couch. She ran to the bathroom to get some alcohol and tried to reanimate him. After a few seconds Chris started to open his eyes clearly confused.

'What happened?' he asked. His lips were as white as his skin.

'You fainted…'

'Everything was spinning and…'

'I'll call a doctor' Ashley said picking up the phone

'No! Please Ash! Don't!' He said hanging the phone again. 'I'm okay…it was just the shock of the moment'

'Are you sure? You look more pale than usual'

'Yes Ash…I'll be okay it's just that…' And he began crying again

'Oh baby I'm so sorry…I know this is hard and painful and I hate Mia and Will so much right now that I could actually hit them in the face…cry, baby, cry…Everything is going to be fine…I'm here with you…you're not alone…cry, cry all you need...get all the feelings out of your chest..cry...'

'Oh Ash! He hates me! I told him horrible things! He was crying and I couldn't do anything to ease his pain! I'm a horrible human being! I hurt him!'

'Easy baby! Don't be so hard on you! Everything you said was to save him! Don't worry too much, he loves you…someday he'll understand everything, because I'm sure he'd have done the same thing for you…'

'I don't think so, I told him awful things…I told him he was my biggest mistake…and those words really hurt him, I saw it in his eyes...'

'Oh baby don't worry, he's a smart guy, he'll guess you were lying'

'I don't think that either, at the beginning he knew I was lying, but then he began to believe me…I made him believe me. I told him what I knew he wouldn't want to hear...I even told him I didn't want to see him again! like if that were remotely true! You know I can't live without him!'

'Don't worry, I'm sure everything is going to be fine…as soon as they give you the pictures and the videos, you can tell him the truth…'

'Mia is not going to give me anything! I texted her and she said that all the pictures and photos were their assurance'

'I'm going to kill that bitch! And Will too! But don't worry about that…when the contract is over you can tell him'

'Maybe is going to be too late…he already hates me! I'm sure of that! You should have seen his eyes when he told me that the Chris that he knew would never think of us as a mistake...he said that my true self would never said those horrible words...he was broken Ash! I broke him and he hates me for that!'

'He can't hate you cause he's nuts about you…and if what you two have is true love, which I'm sure it is, then the word "never" always comes along with "it's too late"...'

'I'm not sure about that, he had never looked at me that way…'

'He was shocked, but he's smart. I'm sure he'll solve this puzzle before you can cry again...'

'I don't think so...'

'I do...everything is going to be fine. In a few months you'll be telling me: thanks Ash! you were right, as always! and you'll be with him having the time of your life...'

'I don't want to think about any possible future...the only thing I want from him is his forgiveness...I really hope that one day he can forgive me, I can't live in a world where he hates me...'

'Of course he will forgive you…I already told you that he loves you...'

Chris kept crying. This certainly was the most painful moment of his entire life. He felt cracked, broken and empty. All the moments he had lived with Darren were part of the past, a past full of love and happiness. A past that two heartless people had decided to destroyed. _How can I survive without him? How can I go ahead with my life if my only reason to keep going now is gone?_ Chris felt hopeless. He was alone. It was as if suddenly the sun had lost its entire luster and the dark clouds had seized the days. _How am I going to survive without him? How?_

* * *

**I'm sorry! Please forgive me! I know it's sad, but we needed some drama around here. Hope you liked it! Stay tuned for the next chapters ;) and thanks for all the support! you're the best! Love ya! XOXOXO**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello! Here's the new chapter! Sorry for the delay, I was on vacation but I'm back! Hope you had a wonderful time too! I'll try to finish the story ASAP! I warn you, the chapter is still sad, but I think it's cute! We're almost at the end of the story so please stay tuned. Thanks for everything! As always, if you're not a CC shipper, do not bother to read this! :)  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Chris, Darren or any of the persons mentioned in this story. Not harm intended  
**

* * *

**CHAPTER 10**

Chris opened his eyes and felt the emptiness of his heart. He looked at the clock and cursed. _4:30am! Fuck!_. He had only slept 2 hours. He stayed awake for a while just thinking, Ashley was sleeping peacefully at his side.

_I have to do something! I have to get away from here! I need to forget him! I need to move on, so he can move on too... _

He meditated for a while and made up his mind. He pulled out his phone and called his publicist without caring that it was only 5 in the morning.

'Chris? are you alright?'

'Yes! Sorry if I woke you Alla, I need you to do something for me'

'What is it?'

'I need you to move the dates of the book tour...'

'What? Why? You know I can't do that'

'Yes you can. I already made the decision and we're going to start earlier. I want to start this week'

'But Chris! We already have a planned schedule, I can't change everything!'

'You'll have do it Alla! I already decided this and we will start this week. End of the story...'

'Chris! This things can't be done in 1 day, I need to make some arrangements, talk to some people...'

'Then start doing it...I want to start this week'

'Can I ask you if this sudden decision has something to do with Darren?'

'Yes he's the main reason, so what?'

'Chris, you can't change your life!'

'I'm not changing it, I'm just trying to speed it up. I'm booking a flight right now. See you in a few hours. Please, I really need you to do this'

'Okay, don't worry I'll start working and see what I can do. Maybe if I move things quickly, we can start on Friday'

'Try it for Wednesday, top okay?'

'Okay, I'll try'

He hung up and checked that his flight was booked. Everything was in order. He entered his room and being careful not to wake Ashley, began packing some clothes.

o-o-o-o-o

By morning he had everything ready and was just waiting for Ashley to wake up. She came out of the room and gasped when she looked at the luggage ready at the door.

'Are you leaving?' She asked

'Yes...'

'Now?'

'Yes...'

'Why?'

'I need to get away from here Ash, I'm starting the book tour earlier, it will be like a pre-tour...'

'Are you crazy?'

'No, I'm not, well, maybe...look Ash! I have less than two months to clear my head and be able to work with Darren again. Things are complicated right now and I need to focus on finding a way to move on, so we can both go on living our lives separately. Maybe I'm being drastic, but I think it's the best for both of us. I'm leaving in a few hours and I'll only be away for 3 weeks, so...'

'Are you sure?' She asked concerned

'Yes!'

'Okay...whatever you want..do you have everything ready?'

'Yes, and I need to ask you a favor...'

'What is it?'

'I don't want you to call me or try to contact me. I want to forget about my whole life for just 3 weeks. Can you do that for me?'

'I guess, but why?'

'What part of, I need to move on you didn't understand?'

Ashley rolled her eyes. 'You know? sometimes you're really annoying! What if I need to talk to you?'

'You'll have to wait 3 weeks'

'And your family?'

'I already talked to them'

'and Brian?'

'He's going with me'

'So there's no way you can change your plans?'

'No'

'Okay I'll respect your decision and won't tell you anything cause you don't need more lectures about this, but just for the record, I think you're acting insane'

'Thanks, I know I am'

o-o-o-o-o

He went to the airport and purchased a new phone there. He didn't tell Ashley, but he left his old phone at home. There was no way they could contact him. _Sorry Ash! But I know you and I need to escape from my life for awhile!_ While he was waiting for his flight to take off, he called Alla again.

'Who's it?' She asked

'It's me Alla, Chris...'

'You changed your phone?' She asked confused

'Yes, nobody else has this number so please be discrete. Is everything ready?'

'More or less, I arranged some interviews for Wednesday, but the signings begin until Friday with some pre-release exclusives of your book. Sorry, but that's all I could do for now...'

'That's fine. I just need to focus my thoughts in something else and work is always helpful'

'I understand, but what you're doing is wrong! And to be honest I think you're just complicating things further! You can't leave everything behind'

'Yes I can, and that's exactly what I'm doing! I know you told me that this would happen and I don't need to hear more: I told you so's, so please just respect my decision and follow my orders, you know I've never been the arrogant diva star that yells and fires people, but this time if I hear something about him, Glee or my life in LA, I'll fire you, do you understand?' Chris said

'Okay, that's new...don't worry! I'll follow your instructions to the letter' She answered a little annoyed

'And please don't give anyone this number…not even Ashley. I don't want to talk to anyone for these few weeks, okay?'

'Okay, but what if something happens…?'

'Nothing is gonna happen, I'll just be out for 3 weeks…'

'But, what if it's an emergency?'

'Unless someone is dead I'll consider it an emergency. You're only authorized to give this number if something like that happens, but you'll have to tell me first…otherwise you can't give anyone this number! Promise!'

'And what about your family?'

'My mom already knows, so no...not even them'

'Okay I promise…but if someone dies…'

'Yes, if someone dies, you're authorized to give this number, but only if someone dies, okay? I need to get away from everything, especially from Darren so please, I don't want to hear a thing…NADA.'

'Okay'

'I'm boarding my plane now…see you in a few'

'Okay, see you soon. Have a nice flight'

'Thanks…bye'

o-o-o-o-o

Two weeks had passed and Chris had managed to survive without Darren and without knowing about him. It was Monday; this was his last week of pre-tour. He'll have to return home on Sunday, though he was not prepared yet.

'Okay Chris this is our last week…how are you feeling?' Alla asked

'Fine…though I'm tired. I guess I'll have to sleep my last two free weeks before I start with Glee again…'

'Speaking of that…' Alla said nervously

'Shhhh I told you, remember? NADA! I don't want to know about Glee...'

'But, you're going to kill me if I don't tell you…'

'Did someone die?'

'No…but...'

'Then nothing! I don't want to know about anything. I'll have plenty of time to deal with whatever it is as soon as I return home'

'But, it's an emergency!'

'If I recall correctly, I said emergency=dead, and nobody has died, so...'

'But, Ashley has been calling all day…'

'Tell her to fuck off! She knows I need this time. I told her that whatever she might need would have to wait...'

'I told her I was instructed not to say a word about your life for these weeks, but she's very persuasive... she even told me she'd kill you as soon as you are home'

'Don't worry, I'll take care of her as soon as I get back home…let me breathe this week...I really need this…please?'

'Okay…but, let's establish that I do tried to tell you, later don't say I didn't, cause I'm sure you're going to get mad at me!'

'Yeah whatever…'

o-o-o-o-o

Chris returned to his house on Sunday morning. As soon as he entered his place he felt that something was wrong. In the floor, at the main entrance, were plenty of white envelopes. He picked them up quickly, and looked at them. They were from Darren, his handwriting was in each one of them. His heart skipped a beat, but kept a straight face and left the envelopes untouched at the kitchen table and went straight to his room to leave his luggage.

Brian ran to his couch and fell asleep immediately. Chris plugged in his old phone and turned it on. He had millions of missing calls and messages. He left the phone on the bed and went to his office. His voicemail was full too. He checked the numbers and saw that there were several calls from unknown numbers. He clicked on the play button and began to listen the messages. Most recent sounded first:

"I know this is like the thousandth time I call you, but I really need to talk to you! Alla already told me you don't want to know anything about Darren, Glee or LA, but this is important! I know you're supposed to be home soon that's why I'm calling you again…please as soon as you get this message, call me! it's important! This is about Darren" _Ricky? _

"Bubba! It's me Hannah! I'm worried...is everything alright? Darren's mom has been speaking with mom all week. I think something's going on. Please call me! Mom is keeping everything away from me…by the way, why did you change your phone? I'm your sister! I should have known, don't you think?" _Sorry sis!_

"Chris hi! It's me again Ricky, I hope you come back home soon or at least pick up the phone...I'm going crazy and don't know what to do…please call me!"

"Chris, it's me Brad. I hope your publicist has already informed you about Darren. We have a meeting next week to see what we're going to do. Don't forget to check your schedule. See you on Wednesday…Bye" _About Darren? What about him? OMG!_

With each message Chris felt more worried. He was motionless, unable to even breathe. He was listening and feeling worried with each passing second.

"Hey Chris, it's me again Joey…are you home yet? Do you know something about him? Call me if you do please! I'm worried!" _OMG!_

"Chris! I called Ashley and she has been trying to contact you, but we haven't had any luck, please call us…I'm guessing you're not aware of what's going on…call me as soon as you get this" _What's happening? Ricky and Ashley? How?_

"Hi Chris, I'm Cerina…Darren's mom…Karyn gave me this number. Honey please, if you know something call us…" _Damn!_

"Hello Chris, It's me Ryan…are you home yet? I have some bad news to give you. I called your publicist, but she told me you were not available at the moment. Call me as soon as you can please…"

Chris's heart was pounding like crazy. He was panicked and shocked and didn't want to know what had happened. He was afraid to hear it. There were more messages on the recorder, but Chris could not hear them. He ran to his room and using his old phone called Ashley.

'FUCK CHRIS! WHY DIDN'T YOU ANSWER MY CALLS?' She said instantly

'What happened? I'm just arriving and I have thousands of messages and calls and I don't know what happened! Please tell me he is okay! please Ash…tell me Darren is okay!' Chris begged

'We don't know…'

'What! Why?'

'Chris…he is…he's gone…' _Gone? Where? Why?_

'Where? Why?' he asked breathless

'Nobody knows, he just left…'

Suddenly Chris's body felt heavy again. The room started spinning and just like the last time, he fainted.

'Chris? Chris? Are you still there?' Ashley asked 'SHIT! Not again Chris!' She said guessing what had happened.

o-o-o-o-o

Ashley woke Chris again. This time he was lying on his bedroom's floor. He opened his eyes confused.

'Are you okay?' Ashley asked

'What happened?'

'You fainted again Chris…'

'What happened with Darren…?'

'Sit down first…' Ashley said, helping Chris to sit at the edge of the bed

'What happened?' He asked again

'I already told you…he's gone…'

'When? Why? Where?'

'Ricky told me he left on Monday morning or noon, we're not sure…I called you as soon as I heard the news, but your phone was off, I called Alla and told her to tell you, but apparently she had instructions not to pass any message, so…'

'What happened?'

'We don't have a clue, we just know he left on Monday, Ricky told me he only left some resignation letters and disappeared…'

'Resignation letters?'

'He quit Glee…and canceled the contract for his album and gave up on his career. He even left resignation letters for Starkid productions and The Motley…he doesn't want to be a partner of neither of them anymore…'

'Why?' Chris asked confused

'Nobody knows though…well, we think it has something to do with you…'

_Shit!_ 'With me?'

'Yes, he was really bad…he went to my house every day after you left! 2 weeks Chris! He was desperate! He was searching for answers and wanted to talk to you. I told him I didn't know where you were, but he didn't believe me…Ricky told me to keep up with the lying, so I told him a couple of times that you didn't love him…at the beginning he said it was bullshit, but with the days he started believing it and I think that's when he lost it…'

Chris was crying. _What have I done? Dare where are you?  
_

'At first when he disappeared, we thought you two were together, but Alla told us you were alone and I told her to tell you, but she didn't…'

'Where is he?' Chris asked

'We don't know…nobody knows! He only called his family to let them know he was going to be off for a while, but nobody knows where he is…we tried to search his phone, but it's off since then…'

_OMG! Where are you Dare? Why did you leave?_ Chris was crying desperately.

'I guess he could not move on…' Ashley said

'Oh God! This is a nightmare!'

'I know and I feel terrible cause I lied to him too…we all feel so bad! In a way, he is lost because we all lie to him...'

'Its not your fault, you don't need to feel bad…it's my fault…I'm the one who broke him!'

'No, it's not! Yes, you hurt him, but it's not your fault. It was all the fault of Mia and Will…they are the ones who ruined your relationship in the first place.'

Chris shook his head. He was crying and blaming himself for everything. _Please Dare, forgive me..._

o-o-o-o-o

They remained silent for a while. Chris wasn't dizzy anymore and had gained some color, but was still a little pale. His mind was trying to process everything. _What can I do? Where are you Dare? Why did you leave me? Why did you give up on me? Really Chris? Are we going to have these thoughts again? You dumped him! What do you expected him to do? to thank you?_

'I called Ricky on my way here, so I think he's going to be here soon…let's go to the living room' Ashley said interrupting Chris's internal struggle

Chris stood up reluctantly from the bed and walked to the living room with Ashley's help. Chris was taking a seat at the couch when someone knocked the door.

'Don't worry, I'll get it' Ashley said opening the door

'Hi Ricky' She added

'Chris!' he exclaimed ignoring Ashley's greeting

Chris was crying again. Every reminder of Darren's absence was a trigger to his tears and Ricky was, without a doubt, a big reminder.

'Calm down buddy…He's fine, I'm sure he's okay…' Ricky told him

'I swear I didn't know that all of this had happened! Please forgive me! If I had let Alla tell me everything, we could have stopped him…'

'Hush…I'm not sure we could have stopped him. You know him…he is reckless and sometimes he acts impulsively. I'm sure there was no way to stop him… but we will find him. I promise'

'What if something bad happened to him?'

'It's been a week Chris and you know what they say, no news is good news, so I'm sure he's fine…don't worry' Ricky answered, although he was not sure about Darren's safety. He was as worried as Chris, but he needed to keep a straight face. That was the least he could do for everybody.

'Really Chris, don't worry...Now you are here and I'm sure that of all people, only you can help us find him…we need to focus our energies on trying to understand what happened, so that we can try to guess where he could be…'

'His family?' Chris asked

'They don't know anything…we've tried with friends, former colleagues, family, coworkers...but he is nowhere. He didn't tell me anything, so I'm clueless, he just left the resignation letters with a couple of paychecks at my office and this post-it…'

Chris took the post-it with both hands and felt his heart stopped with the glimpse of Darren's handwriting.

"I'm sorry Ricky. I have to do this. You told me that I had to find a way to be better, well, guess what? I found it! Hope you have an amazing life. Sorry! I don't want to cause any trouble, but it's the best for everyone...I'm really sorry…Goodbye. Darren. PS: Don't try to find me!"

'Is this all?' Chris asked

'Yes…He called his mother too and told her he'd be out for a very long time. He asked her not to worry and begged them not to try to find him. He wished the best of lucks to his dad and asked her to pass on the message to Chuck and Lucy. After that, we heard nothing more from him…we have no leads or clues…we're completely blind. I checked the surveillance videos from my office and he made the call to his mom from the parking lot, so from there, we don't know a thing...'

'Have you searched for his car? The license plate? Maybe he drove somewhere...'

'No, unfortunately he didn't! He left his car at home…'

'Plane tickets?'

'Well, cause he's not exactly a missing person I can't have access to that information. Privacy...'

_Damn!_ Chris's mind started to think quickly. He stopped crying and focused his attention in trying to find Darren.

'You're completely sure he's not with some unknown friend?'

'We checked all his friends, do you know someone we don't know?'

'No...but maybe someone is helping him...'

'I thought about that, but you know him, he'd never trust someone that much to ask for that kind of help, I can only think of one person he would trust to death and is sitting in front of me, so no...for now we're assuming he's alone...'

o-o-o-o-o

Chris concentrated again. He was deep in thought when suddenly something came back into his mind

'HE WROTE ME LETTERS!' He yelled

'He did?' Ashley and Ricky asked at the same time

'Yes!' he said standing up from the couch 'I found them when I got home, but I didn't read them I just put them in here' He said taking the letters from the kitchen table

'Perfect! Perhaps he told you where he is…' Ashley said

'I hope so…' Both, Chris and Ricky, said

Chris spread the letters at the table and saw that all of them were numbered

'They're numbered...' he murmured, though Ricky and Ashley were there with him and had seen the numbers too

'Read them all in order…'Ashley suggested

'I'm afraid...' Chris added

'You need to be brave!'

'All right...' Chris said whispering

His hands trembled a little, but he took a deep breath and reached the first letter. He opened it carefully and began reading it. Ashley and Ricky stepped back a little to give him some privacy.

o-o-o-o-o

"Day 1: I never thought I'd be able to write a postmortem letter, but it seems I can. Since yesterday I feel like dying. I left you my heart and soul and now I feel empty. I still can't believe that what you said was actually true...it can't be, right? I love you and I know you love me too. I don't know what happened, but I promise I'll find out…I'm not giving up on you. You're MY LIFE. Please Chris! We need to talk! it's important! I have a lot to say, please give me a chance, I heard what you had to say, now it's my turn..please, let me talk to you! I called you, but your phone is off. Please! let's talk! I leave you this letter to let you know I was here…don't forget I love you, okay? I'll come back tomorrow...we need to talk. Yours D."

o-o-o-o-o

Chris wiped his tears and looked at Ashley and Ricky and shook his head to let them know there was nothing on that letter. He took the second one.

"Day 2: You're not home again. I guess this time you really needed the break. Yesterday I went to Ashley's house, but she said she doesn't know where you are and that you don't take her calls either…is everything all right? I can't believe you let your best friend out of your life…Things can't end like this Chris! We need to talk! I LOVE YOU please don't give up on us! Yours D."

o-o-o-o-o

"Day 3: I have called your phone trillions of times, but is always off. I went again to Ashley's, but she doesn't want to give me Alla's number. Where are you? Ricky is bothering me with the stupid album, I guess I'll have to go to the meeting later, but just because I know that when we're happy and together again, you're going to punish me for giving up on my work…I LOVE YOU. Can we talk? Yours D."

Chris laughed a little. Darren knew him well. If this whole thing had been just a fight. he would have punished him for giving up on his work.

o-o-o-o-o

"Day 4: Where are you? I been bothering Ashley, but she's not telling me anything. I'm starting to freak out. I NEED TO SEE YOU! I LOVE YOU! Please if you're reading my letters please…please wait for me so we can talk…Last night I tried to sleep outside your house, but somebody called the police and they pulled me out, so I guess a camp outside your house is not a good idea, but please let me know if we can talk…I just want a chance to speak my mind. I LOVE YOU. Yours D."

o-o-o-o-o

"Day 5: Did you really just stop loving me? Last night Ashley told me you were serious when you told me you didn't love me…I don't believe her! She's a terrible liar, just like you! I know it sounds cocky but I KNOW YOU DO LOVE ME. Don't ask me why, I just know…I'm going to stay outside at my car. I hope I can see you…it's been 5 days! I can't survive any longer without seeing you, I need you desperately! You're like my air…I LOVE YOU. Yours D."

Every word Darren had written was painful to read for Chris. All the suffering that Darren had gone through, was no more than a reflection of the hell that all of this separation had been for Chris.

'He says you're a liar' Chris told Ashley

'Really?'

'Yes…he says you're a terrible liar, just like me…'

o-o-o-o-o

"Day 6: I don't understand what happened to us. We were fine, we were in love…we were living our lives together. What went wrong? Did I do something wrong? Did you just forget how to love me? Or did I forget how to make you feel loved? I'm sorry, but my head's been busy trying to understand everything and I simply can't, you know I'm not the smartest guy in the planet and right now I'm frustrated cause I'm unable to find WHAT went wrong. I love you and I still think you love me too. Let's talk, okay? Like adults...face to face...Maybe we can change some things to keep the spark on in our relationship or I can make a commitment with you if you want…I LOVE YOU. Yours D."

o-o-o-o-o

"Day 7: One week Chris! One fucking week without you! How am I still standing? With hope, that's the only thing that keeps me from falling. I hope you soon realize that you still love me, so we can be together again. Life is not life without you. Do you remember when I talked you about the missing pieces? Do you remember I told you that you had to choose the right pieces to see the puzzle nearly complete? Well…guess what? I was wrong! I thought it was impossible to have all the pieces together, but now I know that I can have the whole picture. You're my every piece…you complete my puzzle. I miss you and I LOVE YOU. Yours D."

o-o-o-o-o

"Day 8: I've been harassing Ashley all week and I think I really got into her nerves this time, but I don't care…she's the closest thing to you that I have right now…she said you didn't love me, but I can't believe her…I know she's lying but I need you to tell me. Only you can tell me the truth! BTW Ricky is driving me crazy…he said I should move on, but I can't do that cause there's nowhere left for me to move on…why can't he understand? I LOVE YOU. Yours D."

'Are you alright?' Ashley asked

'Yes' Chris answered sobbing 'It's just so painful to read his pain…he was completely desperate'

'I know! He went to my house every night! There were some days when I really wanted to tell him everything! He was soooo distressed that it was painful to witness'

'Has he given you any clue of where he might be?' Ricky asked

'No, he's just describing what he lived…his pain…'

'Keep reading then' Ashley suggested

o-o-o-o-o

"Day 9: I'm still going strong! I'm still keeping my promise! Everyone is telling me that I need to let you go, but I made you a promise and I'm not going to break it. Joey said that maybe you just need some time to think everything and I'm taking that as my new motto. I'm giving you this time, but I'm not giving up on you. I'll keep writing you these letters so you know I've been here. I don't know if you're reading them, but I believe you are and that gives me hope. Have I told you hope is the only thing that keeps me going? The hope in our love, the hope in a future together. I LOVE YOU. Yours D."

o-o-o-o-o

"Day 10: Do you remember all our happy times? Our movie nights? Our breaks at work? Our phone calls? Our life plans? The sneak outs to unknown places? Cause I do. They are my highlights in all this fog. When my mind starts to have doubts about your love, I remember the first time I kissed you as Darren, not as Blaine, and the hope returns. I remember that your body was trembling in my arms and I was falling hard for you…I think that day you stole my soul…Please Chris, tell me everything was true! Those beautiful blue eyes couldn't be lying, right? You loved me…I LOVE YOU. Yours D."

o-o-o-o-o

"Day 11: Last night I woke up crying…do I really was your biggest mistake? Do you really don't want to see me ever again? I LOVE YOU. Yours D."

o-o-o-o-o

"Day 12: The silence is killing me…I need answers Chris! Ricky and Ashley insist that I already have them, but I don't want those answers…Joey thinks you're just afraid to admit something and that's why you're avoiding me…is that true? I NEED TO KNOW…Why Chris? Why all of this happened? Please tell me that they all are so wrong and tell me you love me... I LOVE YOU. Yours D."

o-o-o-o-o

"Day 13:Today, since all this happened I talked to my mom. She heard the whole story and she doesn't believe you've stopped loving me, though I'm not so sure. She encouraged me to not lose hope, she told me: When there's love there's hope…but now I'm starting to understand that maybe I cannot hold onto the hope of a love that might not exist…The hole I feel in my chest is killing me. Will it ever fade away? I LOVE YOU. Yours D."

o-o-o-o-o

"Day 14: How come you stopped loving me? How come you don't wanna see me? Maybe after all our love wasn't as strong as I thought…maybe you were right…maybe the picture was wrong…I don't know what to do, I'm numb. I'm still alive, but I'm barely surviving, I feel trapped in a storm…I'm losing my mind…I need to see you…What am I supposed to do without you? I'm falling to pieces…is there a chance you may change your mind? I LOVE YOU. Yours D."

'I don't think there's something in this letters' Chris said crying

'Why?' Ashley asked

'He just describes his feelings and repeats over and over again how much he loves me and…' Chris broke into tears again.

Ashley hugged him tightly and rocked him in her arms. Her friend was broken and that was killing her too. Ricky sat down at the couch trying to give them some more privacy.

'I broke him Ash…He stopped believing, that's why he left…it's written in all these letters, at the beginning he was so hopeful that I was going to change my mind and be with him again and then he lost hope and gave up on me, he gave up on us! Oh Ash! What am I going to do without him? If he's gone there's no point for me to keep going…what if something happened to him? I'm not sure if I could continue living if he's harmed or worse dead…I'd rather die with him than…'

'Shhhh shut up! Don't talk nonsense okay? He is fine! We will find him and you'll have the chance to tell him the truth and he is going to understand and you two are going to spend the rest of your long lives happy and together, do you understand?'

Chris nodded but kept crying. Ricky stood up from the couch and took out his phone.

'I'll go out to make a quick call…I'll be back in a minute' he said and they both nodded.

o-o-o-o-o

As soon as Ricky left the house, Ashley wiped Chris's tears and encouraged him to keep reading.

'Read the last letter honey…you need to know what he says…maybe he told you where to find him'

'I don't want to read his goodbye…I'm not ready…I'm not that strong'

'You need to do it Chris…maybe there is a track…do it for him, be strong for him'

'Okay...'

Chris wiped his tears with his shirt and took the last letter. He opened it carefully. It was longer than the others.

o-o-o-o-o

"DAY 15: I'm sorry Chris I can't keep my promise. I'm giving up on you. I'm giving up on us; I'm giving up on everything.

I never thought I would be writing this words to you. I swear there was a time when I thought our love would stand the test of time, prejudice, fame, life, work and that nothing could come between us. But I was wrong…Unfortunately, something unknown came between us and took with him our once perfect relationship and there is nothing left for me to hold on to.

Yesterday, I was walking home from your house and I realized that there was something new and strange developing inside me: I was losing hope. I arrived at my place and after thinking it too much I came to the conclusion that I needed to do something for me, something to get rid of that new feeling. Everybody keeps telling me that I need to find a way to keep going, so that's what I'm going to do. Maybe this is going to sound selfish, but I'm dying here and I know you would not be happy to see me like this, so that's why I came to this decision: I'm leaving Chris. It's hard for me to be apart from you, but I need to do this for you and for me, I need to give us some space. You said you didn't want to see me ever again, well, take this goodbye as me fulfilling your desire. You'll never see me again.

It's hard to understand the feelings when the heart is no longer beating. I've never experienced something like this before and to be quite honest, I do not wish this to anyone, not even to my enemies. I'm lost and my life has no meaning. I can't hold onto emptiness, it's not healthy! That's why I decided to make this change. I want you to be happy and I want you to keep going with your life. I can't keep going without you near me. I'm not that strong, I can't stand the idea of us as strangers. I went through that once and it was not easy and now that I know what I feel for you the idea of seeing us at work pretending that nothing happened between us makes me feel sick. I don't know what happened, but you stole everything from me: my heart, my soul, my smile…my life. I don't want you to feel guilty, I know this suffering is not your fault, it's my fault. I should have guessed all of this before, but you know I'm not that clever…so please try to not over analyze this words. I know you do that a lot, so remember THIS IS NOT YOUR FAULT. You're free to choose with whom you spend your life and you were right, I can't force you to be with me. So now I am choosing to be only with myself.

I'm taking with me every beautiful moment we lived, every kiss, every hug, every touch and every I-love-you we share. Thank you for showing me what true love means, thank you for helping me discovering myself, thank you for being my reason to smile, thank you for letting me be part of your amazing life, even if it was just for a very brief period of time. I can promise you that every single day we spent together is going to be stuck into my heart, soul and mind FOREVER. You are the love of my life and I'll always remember you.

Try to live your life fully. You're the most brilliant, strongest, attractive, wonderful and cleverest man I know and I'm sure you'll get very far with your life and your career. Do not let people steal your essence; remember that your brightness is the light that illuminates the path of many people, including mine. I will always be proud to have called you mine, even if it was only once. Thank you for everything, the time that I was lucky to be with you I learned to be a better man and I'll always thank you for that.

Today I'm saying you goodbye, goodbye my love, goodbye my friend, my sun, my moon, my everything…You'll always be the Ying to my Yang. I wish you all the best in your life and I hope you can find someone who loves you eternally as I do and makes you feel the same way. I don't believe you are meant to be alone, you just need to find the right person and I'm sure one day you will. Don't worry about me, okay? I'll be fine, I just need to learn to live without you. I need to learn to survive without you in my life. Sounds poetic, but barely surviving has become my purpose, so I need to find a place where I can be happy again, where I can start living again, a place where I can find sun on Sunday...

Goodbye Chris…I'LL ALWAYS LOVE YOU. Yours forever. D"

Chris cried uncontrollably. This was the most romantic and saddest love letter of all times. He felt completely broken. Darren had told him goodbye and now he was gone forever. _Goodbye Dare…_

* * *

**Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Hope you liked it! Two more chapters to end this story! Stay tuned! (everything is going to be fine!) XOXOXO**


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